


Meta-Morphosis: A Not-So-Serious, Yet VERY Aware SwanQueen Adventure

by capnvanillawithsprinkles, Xevn



Category: Dishonored (Video Games), Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Alternate Universe - Science Fiction, F/F, Honorable thieves, Metafiction, Too many crossovers to mention before it's all over, a bit of foul language, if f-bombs offend this one ain't for you, stop being so serious--we aren't
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-11-19
Updated: 2018-12-09
Packaged: 2019-08-25 19:11:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 20,649
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16666597
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/capnvanillawithsprinkles/pseuds/capnvanillawithsprinkles, https://archiveofourown.org/users/Xevn/pseuds/Xevn
Summary: To meta or not to meta? That is the question. As the authors antagonize the characters in their story. The characters find themselves in a world where a millennium has passed since the collision of the planes.  No one remembers what the world was like before the event.  All have come to accept the world as it is today.  Magic and technology flourish together, and only the image of race divides the people.  Though factions threaten to destroy harmony, crime remains the only real issue.  Humans, Cyborgs, Aliens, and various other races from fantasy, sci-fi, and the supernatural comprise the populace. Government control ensures equality, but royal hierarchy reigns supreme.





	1. Hope I'm Still Alive When This Story Gets Old

**Author's Note:**

> Everyone has a path mapped out for them, but one defies to be molded like the rest. Magic is passed down through genetics much like hair color or family traits. An unusual circumstance gifts Emma with her own. Unwilling to conform to the rules, she strives to make her own path and explore her abilities while keeping them secret from her family, the government, and hierarchy. Her magic isn’t like anyone else’s and grants her more power than she knows what to do with. Believing herself unique she takes on dangerous risks leading her into the wrong hands. 
> 
> Or, A Self Aware Story - Were the characters know they are in a story, but still allow themselves to be railroaded by the plot. 
> 
>  
> 
> Authors’ note:
> 
> Anything and everything came happen. Reality is an illusionary construct in the mind’s eye and many conceptual guidelines will be challenged. Those looking for a hand holding swan-queen plot need patience to explore this fanfic. This story is built around world building and character development. A SwendGame is a reward here to those willing to be enriched by an immersive experience. The grantee, an original story with our favorite pair exploring a world filled with endless possibilities.

Exhaustion strained nimble fingers, the pads of each digit screamed agony as the coarse stone wall chewed away at the damp flesh. Every muscle burned while tendons puppeteered their movements dragging the deadweight another foot higher. Knees chafed over the abrasive surface, bruising and scraping at the delicate skin beneath the dark denim jeans as pain radiated in dull bursts reminding the climber of their existence and to proceed with caution. Wind whipped harshly, threatening to tear her from the wall, but persistence kept the tired hands clenched, and sore bare feet curled on the small edges around the carved rocks.

 

With barely an arm’s length from the ledge, the climber surged upwards, solidifying a grip to salvation. Midnight blue fabric pulled taut against the drastic motion; the trench coat threatened to drag her harshly back to the ground. But she denied herself the short trip and fought to inch her body over the balcony railing. Drawing limbs over the terrace, she rolled onto her feet and took cover along the outside wall. Effort-strained breaths claimed her chest pausing her progression as her mind flew back to the prior evening. 

 

_ “Are you sure climbing is the best strategy?”  Shooting a concerned glance at the blonde, Clive voiced his doubts. When he had asked that while they discussed the plan, she had been 100% certain of her answer.  _

 

_ “Well, maybe you should have made my animal a hawk instead of a weasel.” She bit out in their ages-old argument. _

 

_ “We don’t get to choose what animals our magic makes us. You would know this if you attended the academy, but no--someone doesn’t like having rules.” He sneered back.  _

 

_ “No, I don’t want to be forced into a mold and become a puppet of the government.” She stated with her eyes rolling around in her head. “Back to your plan, or get some other fool to do it.” _

 

_ “I don’t know much about the black castle or who occupies it. So, let’s assume this is a higher risk than a normal job.  I need someone special. Maybe a mage or sorcerer which means-” _

 

_ Interrupting him, “Low to no magic for someone like you, but I can conceal my signature and essence. You know this.” She sighed. “God, I get tired of feeling used.” The cheeky tone of her words nullified her words. _

 

_ “There is always a chance it won’t work.” He said in a less than helpful tone. _

 

_ “Which is why I have to climb. Avoiding the possible alarms outside gives me a better chance of getting inside. I’ll use the smaller spells once I’m in and sneak out without anyone noticing me. Trust me. Have I ever let you down?”  _

 

_ “Of course not. Just be careful, Neal would kill me if anything happened to you.”  _

 

_ “Don’t go telling him anything if something does happen to me. He would think it was his fault.” _

 

_ “There are better ways to pay his tuition.”   _

 

_ “Not without losing my freedom or whoring myself out.” She swallowed her irritation. “I’ll do some reconnaissance on the exterior over the next couple of nights. Get a feel for the guard situation before the storms set in this weekend. I think the deteriorated exterior is an illusion. ” _

 

_ “You’re going to climb in the rain?” _

 

_ “No before the rain, hopefully.” She gave a half-hearted smile. _

 

_ “Easy for you to say. You’re mad.” He grumbled. “You're the one getting a face full of water if you are wrong.” _

 

_ “Eccentric. Not mad. And, in case you didn’t notice, I dry just fine.” The blonde corrected. “Worry about my payment. I’ll have the amulet to you by next Monday.”  _

 

Tiny chilled drops speckled and seeped into her clothes, providing her some relief from the heat her body generated from the climb. Rested enough, she continued inside the open sunroom. Darkness shrouded the uninvited guest as they sought to focus their mind.  

 

Eyes surveyed the vast room, a space filled with furnishings for lounging, but no bed in sight. The closed double doors at the opposite side fed into the castle, a typical layout, but with the other two doors opposing each other across the room left a fifty-fifty chance at finding the target.

 

Concentrating--wind stung eyes closed as a simple spell breathed through muted lips. A liquid-like coolness soothed over the pain and illuminated the room in a dark but defining blue. Two benign grey silhouettes stood guard behind the entryway to the suite, the room to her right was an extravagant washroom with no occupants. Turning towards the last room, the intruder gleamed a pulsing purple body resting on its side and next to it on the nightstand an indiscernible golden glowing object.  

 

‘A magic user?’ Aggravation flared in her thoughts. ‘It was definitely a possibility.’  Shrugging the thought off she held out her hands and slowly twisted her palms up drawing in the ambient energy of the room. A burning sensation teased at the base of her spine as she silently spoke the spell needed to continue her task. Fingers curled capturing the energy and pulled the current in towards her chest. Static yellow hues danced along the woman’s torso, hissing and crackling as it laced into her frame.  

 

Instinctually her body crouched and hands flung forward to brace herself on the ground. Magic thrummed through her limbs, surging harshly from her chest. Warmth flickered over her skin then cooled instantly as fingers twisted and shrank.  White fur sprouted from the thick leather covering her wrists then spread to her body. A moment later she was a fraction of her actual size and no longer human. 

 

**_“Could one of you idiots, please tell me why you’ve reduced my badass sorcery skills and why the fuck am I a weasel?! Ruby gets to be a wolf, really original there, but why can't I be something less squeaky?” Emma aimed her beady eyes at the authors and waited for their response._ **

 

**_Cap’n’s cool fingers skated quickly across the keys first erasing her question, but then a quick edit resurrected the whiney questions. “Your character is still an immature teen at this point. No badassery allowed. You should be young, adorable and ever-so-slightly pathetic. Do you want to be a chinchilla?”_ **

 

**_“No.” She deflatedly whined._ **

 

**_“Now, back to your work. We can’t get this story off the ground if you continue to question every decision.”_ **

 

**_“Hey. I didn’t bitch about the awful weather conditions, did I?”_ **

 

**_“Clarke didn’t complain when we made her a man for a while, you should be thankful you didn’t sprout an unwanted penis. Be grateful. Seriously, I can convince Xevn, this story would be better in the 100 universe. Clarke and Lexa are ready to step in if you continue to be difficult.”_ **

 

**_“No, no. I'm cool. We're cool. I am a weasel, cute and adorable, very pathetic little weasel.” She phased back into the scene._ **

 

Crawling across the floor to the bedroom wall, she let her whiskers guide her. Her nose picked up the familiar smell of another rodent, but one that she hated to meet at this size. An eroded hole near the door reeked of rats but thankfully appeared to be abandoned with cobwebs strung between the hollowed out gap. A perfect entrance for her weasel form to effortlessly squeeze through and remain undetectable.   

 

Past the threshold, a threatening stench from a nearby predator drowned the pinkish nose. ‘A dog?’ She paused, taking in more of the smell she discerned the species.‘Damn, a fricken wolf. Why couldn’t I see it?’ Frantically searching the floor, the wolf’s presence remained a ghost. ‘I’m so close.’ Clenching her jaw, she fought the urge to leave and forced her limbs to move against their will towards the amulet’s location.  

 

Nails dug into the wooden leg of the nightstand, securing her hold as she ventured up the towering length. Red beady eyes scanned the sleeping occupant. Shallow even breaths barely shifted the woman’s back beneath the sheets, assuring her presence remained undetected. ‘Safe to proceed. You’ve got this.’  But her body refused to relax. ‘Just grab it and go.’ She was practically yelling the thought at herself. 

 

Turning her attention to the object in question; a necklace with a large vial filled with a dark substance that appeared to be translucent upon her approach. Tilting her head she briefly studied it, her mind plagued with a curious thought. Suspended in the center laid a sluggishly beating heart, shrunk in size and greenish gray with decay along the edges.

 

‘A phylactery?!’ Startled by the revelation, she contemplated her options on a payday. ‘I don’t do jobs for liches, nor do I attempt to steal from someone powerful enough to hold a lich’s phylactery ransom.’ Squeaking her dismay dramatically, the thief took a step back from the cursed object. ‘Clive, you moron! You are going to get me killed.’ Tension coursed through her tiny body as anxiety grasped her mind. ‘Nope, not doing it.’ Turning towards the windowsill, she aborted the mission and sought retreat.

 

“Second thoughts?” The feminine voice poured like rich satin into her ears. A painfully sharp sting burrowed into the back of her skull. Thousands of tiny claws scraped across her mind and held her consciousness captive as the invader’s thoughts scoured further into the surface. Rough and abrasive the sensation brought the furry creature to all fours bracing her weight against the polished wooden veneer.  

 

Finding a weakness in her mental barrier, the intruder peeled the layers of her mind open and delved deeper inside planting a menacing image of her vindictive trespasser. Shiny obsidian scales, elongated silver fangs and a set of wickedly twisted horns comprised the face of a vicious dragon. The shard in the intruder’s chest vibrated in acknowledgment of its kindred. Black slits peeled back revealing purple irises that dilated into a dark oblivion. Closing its eyes, the scaled beast released the thief from the empty eternity that threatened to devour her and left her mind scrambling to push the intruder out.     

 

Brought out of her mind, she stared blankly at her mirrored image in the polished surface with her tiny claws chewing at the wood skirting the view. Her head throbbed, lingering evidence the nightmare was real. A nervous thrill ran up her spine raising fur along its way and freezing the thief in her tracks. Standing on her hind legs, her head turned to meet the glowing purple eyes scrutinizing her with stoic intrigue. Nodding softly in answer, she worried over the woman’s intentions and hesitated in thought. ‘Do I dare flee?’ Her rumination halted at the sound of a threatening growl to her side.  

 

“Bit off more than you can chew, it seems.” A sinister chuckle put the thief more on edge.

 

“Relax Red, a weasel is no threat to me.”  

 

“That remains to be seen.” Red rumbled back in words only her mistress could hear.

 

Timidly twisting her head towards the growling party, she locked a red eye on the wolf standing with its haunches raised beside the bed. ‘I’m chew toy size.’ Trepidation crawled under her fur and scurried up her throat, escaping in a squeak. Surrounded in a sense, she tested her limits and placed a paw on the phylactery.

 

“I wouldn’t. Stealing from me isn’t worth my wrath.” The woman’s voice tensed with caution.

 

She quickly extrapolated an exit strategy and kicked the necklace at the wolf. Believing she had a moment to escape she leaped away; the woman’s fingers snagged her effortlessly. Plucked from the air by her scruff, her body dangled like a limp noodle.

 

“Nice try, slick.” Held over the mess of teeth, the thief stared into the bottomless darkness of the wolf’s throat. “Disrespect will only go so far with me. Now, what should I do with you?” A tongue laced over sharp fangs a sign the wolf had an idea. “It’s obvious you didn’t know what you were stealing. So that means you were hired to obtain it. Who hired you?” Giving a weak shrug in response, the weasel looked back to the woman seeing only her eyes in the concealing blackness of the room. No, the woman was keeping her appearance hidden, the magic misting from her eyes leaving evidence of this tactic.

 

“Take a moment and think about your position.  Lying to me gains you nothing.”

 

Remaining silent, she glared her answer.

 

“So you would become a snack for my wolf rather than supply me with a name?”  

 

Indifference. Closing her eyes, she waited to feel the crushing bite of the beast.

 

“Foolish bravery. Do you care for this person, or fear them?” Clive was neither someone she cared for or feared. Speaking his name meant breaking his trust. Regardless it wasn’t Clive that wanted the ‘amulet’; he played middleman for clients. No names, just paper requests with payments attached. Secrecy kept all parties safe if the legman ended up captured or killed.  

 

Besides, death was a benign symptom easily cured by her abilities, something she had experienced on multiple occasions. Her brushing off the woman’s interrogation was a tried and true strategy to stall for time. Vibrating in a low frequency, the dormant catalytic shard embedded in her heart flickered to life. No longer crippled by the dominating invasion of thoughts burrowed into her mind, her confidence flared. Clive and only a handful of her friends knew of her abilities.  Her magic pulled from the plane’s energy like all others, but that’s where the similarities ended. Considered to be a fantasy of storytellers and dreamers, warping reality, time traveling, and plane shifting remained a well-guarded secret of hers until now. 

 

Phasing out, she became intangible as if a ghost that existed on the plane but couldn’t be seen or interacted with it. Manipulating time, she rewound it to the moment of capture and watched the scene play out as a third party observer. Shrills of pain escaped the white-furred weasel; the tiny form trembled while its head thrashed. The sickening sight turned her stomach. Experiencing it, then reliving it from an outside perspective didn’t mesh well, but understanding what happened to her within those minutes trapped inside her head provided details she needed.  

 

Once she was free and far from here, she could investigate further into the magic of this user; ensuring there wouldn’t be long-lasting effects or a possibility to have her mind invaded again. As long as she contained the memory and replayed it for him, Merlin could discern a course of action or treatment for her. 

 

Inspecting the woman tormenting the weasel, she couldn’t see beyond the darkness shrouding the figure. Rolling her eyes, she shrugged off her curiosity. “Damned weasel tendencies.” She muttered under her breath and positioned herself next to the lich’s phylactery. Grasping the chain, she expended more magic than she wanted to yank the object from its current position in reality. A paradoxical tear threatened to consume her and the amulet, draining more of her energy to will it from the nightstand.  

 

Concerned about leaving a fissure in reality, she halted her actions and reconsidered her attempt. If she blinked back into the timeline, it could give her an element of surprise buying her just enough time to pick up the phylactery. However, her mind flinched at the thought of being thrust back into the presence of that woman. She couldn’t convince herself she would succeed. The pain, fear, and insecurity of having another being prodding around inside her head left a lasting impression.  

 

What were the consequences of leaving it behind? If she could see her timeline it would give her some assurances, but viewing it had its dangers. Number one rule; never peer into your future. Enough books, movies, and TV shows taught her better than to entertain that idea. She intended on aborting the mission after discovering the object’s true nature; why did she continue to pursue it afterward had made little sense to her. Pride? Stealing from a dragon, a real dragon and not something from fairy tales, seemed thrilling.  

 

_ “Stealing from me isn’t worth my wrath.” _ The words echoed in her mind.  

 

“Well, you pissed me off. No one crawls around inside my head and asserts themself over me.” Dangerous or not, she needed to prove a point.  She’s a rebellious teenager after all. It's a thing. Life or death be damned. Only stubbornness reigns supreme here, fuck this chick and her ideals. “I’m the goddamn boss!” Zealous in all her self-pointed righteousness, she unleashed the aggravated tension from the pit of her stomach and set her mind to dissing the spellcaster.   

 

Blinking back into existence, she met an empty room, spying the phylactery left discarded on the ground from the struggle to flee. Her eyes scanned the darkness, but no one remained in the vast space. One quick glance with her enhanced vision assured of this. ‘Morons. Probably think I teleported away somewhere nearby.’ She internally smirked over their incompetence to understand the difference between the spell and her actual ability to warp out of reality.

 

Clutching the chain, she shifted back into her human state. Exiting through the window, she jumped from the edge in a quick descent to the ground a couple of hundred feet down.  Reaching out her hand, she sent off a surge of magic towards the river bank. Like an extension to her body, she clutched the damp sandy soil and pulled herself across the distance. Feet stuck with a wet pop, but no impact felt as the muddied sand splashed over her boots.  

 

Pocketing the phylactery, she ran off into the woods. A short journey through the dense forest brought her back to the clearing where she started. Snapping her fingers, she dissipated the concealment spell hiding her dad’s Thruxton motorbike. She was exhausted and grateful to have a motorized workhorse legging the rest of her way home. Mounting the bike, she put her helmet on and checked the time, 2:25 A.M. glared back at her in a neon blue hue from the illuminated display expanded over her forearm. 

 

“Hopefully he’s asleep by now.” She prayed, feeling the chilled dampness seep through her clothes from the condensation resting on the metal frame. “At least let her be asleep, ma will kill me.”   

 

Departing from the clearing with debris kicking up in a slick, she bounced the bike along a muddy trail up to the road. A set of yellow eyes watched the rider grow smaller before taking off to follow from a safe distance.  

 

“I’ve found her, My Lady. Following her now.” Pumping all four legs hard through the uneven terrain, her paws reached the edge of the wicked forest of decay and greeted the pleasantly smooth surface of asphalt. 

 

“Good, keep your distance and alert me when you’ve found her residence.” Severing the telepathic link abruptly, the woman paced the bedroom in thought. A faint glow from the large TV illuminated the length of her steps. Early morning news played lightly in the background of her rumination. 

 

Losing the phylactery meant nothing to her, just a small squabble of politics between friends. “If Kerrigan wanted it back an apology would have sufficed.” Instead, she preferred to reserve her pride and hire a thief to steal it back.  

 

The questions she asked were mere foreplay to her, having touched the thief’s mind she already knew a new game was afoot--one that had more intrigue.  

 

A deeper dive would have yielded more, but she was caught off guard by the feel of the girl’s shard pulsing within her chest. Using a guise of such an adorable little creature made it challenging to identify the thief. Perplexing her further was how this girl managed to conceal her magical signature, only her hesitation in stealing the phylactery broke her concentration long enough to reveal her presence in the room.

 

“Funny to think something so mundane as a phylactery would irk a talented thief. Surely, this item couldn’t be the first morally questionable score shes made.” She chuckled her query before settling into a drawl mood.  

 

“Young and naive; only a fool believes themself unique.” The statement stung as memories threatened to pour from her mind. “Spend an eon exploring the multiverse, and this gift becomes a curse. I wonder what will break you first?” Speaking her thoughts harshly, she envied the girl’s naivety. “I’ll ensure you break.” 

 

Stopping at the nightstand, she inspected the tear left by the inexperienced user. White light seeped from the crack, it floated in place above the wood warping everything around it in ripples that merged like different paint colors in the process of being swirled together. “Mistakes like these could collapse reality.”  Sighing, she grasped the tear and squeezed it closed. “I’ll need to refine her before she’s useful to me.” 

 

“My Lady.” The tingling whisper of her wolf’s voice called to her from the back of her mind. “She’s Riker’s kid.”  

 

Rage burned in her heart, “Let me see.” Pouring her mind into the wolf’s she felt no resistance, but the invasion brought the heat of her anger causing the wolf to snarl its mouth.

 

Crouched across the street with its head peeking out from behind a parked car, the wolf and woman watched the thief dismount the motorcycle and remove her helmet. Long blonde hair tumbled free and rested along her shoulders in a disorganized mess. Just a silhouette of her lithe, athletic frame with the tails of her coat flickering in the subtle breeze could be seen in the glow of light from the open garage.  

 

Approaching the long legs protruding from under the classic 67’ matte black Mustang, the blonde swallowed the thick lump in her throat. “Hey, Pa.” She announced herself. The sound of a wrench clinking onto the ground had her clenching her jaw.

 

“You know, your mother would murder me if she found out I let her fifteen-year-old daughter ride around on that organ donor machine.” His rough voice, though muffled some by the car above him, beamed in clarity. Rolling into view his green eyes mirthly shined with his teasing, but the firm line in his lips expressed his concern. “You said you would be back before midnight.”

 

Holding out her hand to him, “Sorry?” She cringed the apology.

 

Taking her hand with an annoyed sigh, “Permission, forgiveness.” He mumbled the shortened saying accepting the situation could be worse and thankful it wasn’t. Once he was on his feet, he pulled her into a hug. His 6’2 stature dwarfed hers in the warm embrace. “We better get to bed before the sleeping dragon awakens and burns us with her rage.”

 

The image of the dragon from earlier flashed in her mind, “Yeah well, I might have met a real one and pissed it off tonight.” The statement came off as playful banter.

 

“Wow, you are so much like me. Of course, you would meet one after only a handful of them are left and pissed it off.” Planting a doting kiss on her head, he grabbed for a rag and wiped some of the grease off his hands. “Next you’ll tell me you’ve been off world fighting space pirates and saving the galaxy from an alien invasion.” He froze for a moment. “You haven’t, have you?”

 

“No no, let’s keep this story grounded in reality.” She chuckled helping him gather the scattered tools.

 

“Anything is possible when it comes to you.  Imagine if you did have magic like your little brother.  Complete chaos.” His statement forced a fake smile to her lips.

 

“Good thing I don’t. Otherwise, it would be Graham here paying back the last of your favors.” Deflecting with a tangible topic, she watched his features wrinkle.

 

“Getting you out of jail wouldn’t come close. Most likely, he’d be annoyed. I guess I’ll have to explain the details of a life debt to you sometime soon, but it’s time for bed.” Walking past her with a cheeky grin, he beckoned her to follow. The garage door slowly closed in their absence.

 

Staring down the white paneled metal door, the Wolf lingered in place. “Stay with her. I haven’t decided my next move just yet.” The woman withdrew from Red’s mind allowing the wolf’s emotions to calm. Slinking off to find a place to rest undisturbed and sheltered from the rain, she figured it would be a couple of days before she was called back home.  

 

Kicking off her muddied boots, the blonde wandered to her bed feeling more drained by her lie that is her life and her dad’s conversation than tonight's events. Discarding her coat and peeling off her sweat-drenched undershirt she inspected the scar peeking out from beneath her bra. Still healing, it remained pink in hue and throbbed from time to time.  Grabbing a folded shirt from her desk chair, she removed her bra and changed for sleep. Keeping her magic a secret wasn’t hard, but having to explain the significant impact shaped scar running the length of her chest would be impossible. 

 

Her mind attempted to visit the memories of the events, but the call of sleep pulled stronger. Getting the phylactery to Clive required her to be at her best. Pretending to be his familiar that disappears often made sneaking into the academy easier, but took a solid concentration to conceal her magic signature. “This had better pay off. Why couldn’t I be a fucking wolf?” She muttered into her pillow with her eyes screwing shut. She hated the academy, the government, and their poverty  **and maybe the authors as well** . Her dad’s job as a mid-level cop didn’t cover her brother’s mandatory education any more than it paid for their home. Her skills made up the difference.

Studying the blonde’s sleeping form, the woman lingered a moment longer inside the mirrored closet door. Soft snores lulled in the room, assuring a deep sleep claimed the girl. The silvery reflective glass rippled, turning into a mercury pond as the woman stepped into the room. Ignoring the unconscious occupant, she stalked swiftly to the small study desk and scanned the school papers scattered about its surface.  

 

Eyes honed in on the heading of one;  Emma Wyman rested above the class period with a small swan drawn next to it. ‘So this is Riker’s kid. Em-ma, a weasel longing to be a swan.’  Deep brown irises ignited in a purple mist. Magic flickered in her hand and formed into a closed white rosebud. ‘So young and naive, no one is free. But for now, I’ll allow you to have your blissful ignorance.’ She turned to the bed and carefully threaded the stem beneath Emma’s palm that rested next to her head. “Sleep well, my swan.” She whispered delicately then withdrew back through the mirror.

  
  


\---

 

 


	2. I Haven't a Thing Unless I Have You

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> More than a year has elapsed between the first two chapters. We meet Mulan who is now Eddie, a little more of Riker, who is Dad because David was too wormy for this fic. And, Snow isn't Mary Margaret but Lizbeth Kaldwin because god, that M&M woman is annoying...but Emma continues her thievery and gets into yet more trouble. We discover the sad truth behind her work...and all sorts of other nonsense.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really haven't a clue how to explain where this is going. Feel free to read this crazytrain.

Regina looked over the land stretching from her tower as the rain hammered into the stone and twisted trees below. In her mind’s eye, she could still see the sleeping form of a girl she should hate clutching a white rosebud in the dark.

 

“You sent for me, mistress.” Red’s growling voice didn’t detract from her human form.

 

“Yes, we have work to do.”

 

“Riker’s child has gotten bolder. And, she might be biting off more than she’s ready to handle. I need you to find the heir to the house of Fa. She’s living under an alias as a thief.”

 

_ The mirror’s surface rippled revealing a white weasel’s head poking out from under a chair before darting to the thick drapes covering the window. It clawed its way to the curtain rod and surveyed the room. It’s beady red eyes shining with intelligence, the witch observed tiny hand movements that hinted at sorcery. _

 

_ A purple glow emanated from a wooden chest on the far side of the room. The weasel lept from its high perch and somersaulted, then landed in full human form. The blonde had to be no more than seventeen, thought the witch as she watched the foolhardy girl charge toward her goal.  _

 

_ Dropping to her knees, the thief pulled her leather glove from her hand with her teeth and tucked it into her belt. Then, she reached into her interior pocket and unfolded a small leather case and extracted her lockpick. She worked quickly. A loud snick declared the moment she succeeded. Using both hands, she opened the chest by throwing the lid back. A large purple gem the size of her fist nestled in velvet sat in the center. _

 

_ A long blade slithered under her chin. _

 

_ “Thanks for making this easy for me.” _

 

_ Shoulders tensed as her cheeks pinked. She had believed she was alone. “And you are?”   _

 

_ “Someone who’s probably getting paid more than you.” Almond shaped eyes shined through the mask at her kneeling victim. Tapping the blade on the woman’s shoulder, “Nice and slow, wouldn’t want to knick that pretty face of yours.” _

 

_ Hands raised up in surrender as the blonde began to move. “On second thought…” A headache inducing blast of energy struck Emma in the head and had her keeling over. “Can’t have you using your magic, it’s a bit unfair.” Stunned emerald eyes turned towards the assailant in a fleeing strength of consciousness to catch a blurred gleam of the weapon used to cancel her magical abilities.  Slumping over with her head finding a precarious perch on the lip of the chest, she let out an annoyed breath.  _

 

_ “Sorry, not sorry.” The thief shrugged with a semi-sympathetic tone. _

 

_ Stepping over the unconscious body, the competitive thief collected the object and inspected its design. Assured it was the real McCoy, she nonchalantly pocketed it and turned her attention to the girl, “Such a pleasant distraction I would love to be tangled up in, but so little time and places to be.” She mockingly whined. “Maybe a drink on me to soothe over that wounded ego? Friday? Let’s say 9 pm.”  _

 

_ Eyes flickered under the closed lids, but nothing followed in the answer. “Fine, I’ll let you sulk.” Disappointed, the thief made for a hasty retreat, but a quick hand snagged her ankle in the process.   _

 

_ “It belongs in a museum.” A weak voice proclaimed in a quote. _

 

_ “Sorry, not this time Indy.” Smiling her understanding, she shook the hand free.  Another step forward weasel reflexes allowed a swift kick that toppled her to the floor. A small scuffle later and the fist-sized gem slid out behind the wrestling women. _

 

_ Triumphantly straddling the thief’s waist, Emma pinned the woman’s hands over her head. Panting heavily, she removed the mask concealing the latter’s face. Jet black hair tumbled in a mess along the floor, streaks of fiery orange accentuated the woman’s temperament. A smug smirk shined up at her. _

 

_ “Not my idea of a first date.”   _

 

_ “Oh yeah?” _

 

_ Confused shock washed over the blonde’s face when both arms pressed up in a surprising amount of strength. “You should have brought flowers. Wait, can we talk about this first?”  Struggling in futility, Emma’s quivering tone reflected her panic. The woman’s cocky grin etched further along her face with each inch she gained. _

 

_ Overpowering the blonde’s hold, she effortlessly repositioned them with a tumble to the side. Perched confidently on top of Emma, “Now this is more to my liking.”  She sweetly purred. “Maybe if you behave you’ll get a second date. My drink offer still stands if you are old enough to drink that is.” _

 

_ “That’s a hard NOPE.” Gathering as much power as she could while nullified, white static sparked in an unenthusiastic show before growing in a sporadic brilliance of blinding light as Emma blasted the woman across the room. Stumbling to find her footing, she felt the strain of her spent body weighing down her movements in a sluggish wobble of coordination. _

 

_ In a dizzying scan of the room, she spotted the gem tucked under some furniture and scrambled to retrieve it. Unaware of the gem’s contents, she clutched it in her hand and collapsed. A sinister chuckle vibrated through her arm then took root in her head, “I’m free.” The haunting voice whispered as her mind filled with darkness and dread.  _

 

_ ‘Fuck my life, not again.’ Emma’s thoughts wavered in an aggravated embarrassment turning her skin a bright red then fading into a pale white. _

 

_ Failing her will save, the blonde’s body moved on its own accord leaving her an idling passenger, a puppet to an unseen puppeteer. “Quite the power-set you have, girly.” Hands flexed their grip, readying to test the host’s capabilities.  _ **_‘Fuck you, asshole. Get your own body to sculpt.’_ **

 

The brunette watched the control shift from the blonde; she winced under the disturbing possibilities. Unseen by the Asian, Regina could see the tiny fractures in reality rippling open around the clenched fists as the puppeteer explored a minute amount of power left in Emma’s body. Bracing for the startling impact to follow in the series of events playing out in the memory, the witch brushed off a call from her wolf from their shared telepathic link.

 

_ The deft Asian circled around the blonde. “Blondie, you don’t pick up ancient relics with your bare hands. Whoever you apprenticed for failed.” Clicking her tongue in mockery of Emma’s limited wisdom, dark almond eyes locked on to their target.  _

 

**_‘I didn’t have a chance. You gave me a handicap of minus eight. I’m lucky I am not a vegetable.’_ **

 

_ Wielding her scabbard in the opposing hand, she addled the girl’s brain with a deliberately sharp thwack to the temple. Keeping the deadly edge of her blade trained on Emma’s neck, her attention followed the inexperienced girl’s body to the ground. The heavy thud dislodged the malevolent gem in the process.  _

 

_ Tumbling to the floor, the glowing purple object stopped dead at her feet. She scooped it into a velvet bag, convinced of its dangerous attributes, and secured it to her waist.  _

 

_ Hesitant to make her escape, she stood in thought over her competition’s body. A playful smirk crawled over her lips, “Considering you owe me one, I better not leave you here.” She dragged the unconscious girl to the window and dropped her to the bushes below.   _

 

_ Cringing when the loud thud of the blonde’s head met the ground, she paused and re-calculated the distance and speed of travel.  “Mild concussion, nothing too alarming.” Crawling out onto the ledge, she dangled her feet, “Two mild concussions.” She adjusted her conclusion but wiped the concern from her mind. ‘If her constitution roll failed, so be it.’ _

 

_ Landing with a cat’s grace, she sidestepped and surveyed the relaxed features, “Now, don’t forget you and I have a date later on. A headache will not excuse you. Blackouts maybe.  Where’s your phone?” Expectantly waiting for a response, she rolled her eyes when the blonde didn’t respond. “Fine, I’ll get it for you.” _

 

_ Grabbing the limp left wrist, she pulled back the leather sleeve and pressed a thumb into the pulse point. A small HUD in translucent colors expanded over the pale skin. “I’ll just add the date to your calendar so there are no mistakes and here is my number.” Pressing her arm against the latter’s brought up a prompt, ‘ _ **_Save Eddie to contacts?_ ** _ ’ Tapping yes, she dropped the hand and gave a tender pat to the woman’s cheek. “See you soon.”  _

 

**_‘Fucking hell. You two. Fuck you. I’m the hero, the protagonist. You can’t keep beating the ever living shit out of my body. It’s not how hero stories are supposed to work.’_ **

 

**_“And, we told you what would happen if you whined again.” Capn sighed before typing further. “You asked for it.” Hitting the enter button she summoned two beloved characters from the multiverse, making good on her threats._ **

 

**_Clarke and Lexa step out of the void. Lexa poked at the prone body with her scabbard. “I’m not saying she isn’t hot, but look if it were Clarke laying there her ass would be so much rounder. I mean seriously, have you looked at her ass?” She grabbed the younger blonde by the hand spun her around and grabbed a firm cheek. Seriously, gravity doesn’t affect these things.”_ **

 

**_“Hey. I take offense to that. Mine looks nice when I am laying down here, but the concussion makes it hard to be as appealing.” Emma defended herself in a whine._ **

 

**_“There you go blaming the authors for writing you an exciting life event. Clarkey and I are going to go exploring. We’ll turn up again when you are failing to be as awesome as you claim. We could easily take over for you and Eddie, but I’m not psyched about Regina touching my woman.”_ **

 

**_Clarke laughed and shook her head. “You were able to deal when I had to do Niylah. I think you could survive this too. It’s just that we’d have to wait for the authors to do a quick retool from SwanQueen to Clexa. We’d get our happily ever after here you know. These two would never kill you off. She even patched up things with me and my mother. and I believed that was a lost cause from chapter 1. The good Capn is such a softy. She only writes sickeningly happy endings.”_ **

 

**_“Guys. Could you knock it off? You've driven my writing buddy away. That blush of hers is going to become permanent if you keep it up. No one can pull off stoplight red as a shade.” Xevn adjusted his hat. “Considering how foggy my room is, I'm gonna step outside to vape while you collect yourselves. Get it together, we resume in 5. Oh, and quit talking in front of the audience. It's distracting.”_ **

 

**_“Jeez, someone's in a mood.” Clarke rolled her eyes._ **

 

**_“Must be the lack of sex scenes. I'm willing to bet he's going to scrap that idea of a teen rating by chapter 4.” Lexa smirked._ **

 

**_“Woah, Xevn was writing this as a teen rated story?” Mulan stepped back into the frame, her face twisted with skepticism. Both Lexa and Clarke nodded. “I was promised a sex scene for my name change. That motherfucker.”_ **

 

**_“Uh, guys, it's really hard to focus on playing unconscious with you all standing around me talking about sex,” Emma grumbled from the ground._ **

 

**_“Shush, you horny teenager, the adults are talking.” Lexa toed the prone blonde's leg. “Just keep dropping the f-bombs, and he'll cave.” The brunette assured her._ **

 

**_“Enough chit-chat or I'll snap you all out of existence.” Regina's voice boomed from above as her fingers began to itch._ **

 

**_“Well, that's our queue.” Clarke nervously looked to her partner._ **

 

**_“Good luck with the dragon-lady, the next scene is gonna be painful.” Lexa patted Mulan's shoulder as she passed by on her exit._ **

 

**_Watching the two characters walk off hand in hand, she felt a chill creep down her back. “Hey! What do you fucking mean about the next scene being painful? Wait up!” She jogged after them leaving the prone woman behind._ **

 

**_“Fine, I'll just lay here and wait for the coyotes to eat me. Assholes.” Emma muttered under breath._ **

 

A moment after her re-viewing of the scene, the door to her office burst open to a disheveled looking Red, “I’ve been calling you!” The flustered shout cracked into a whine.

 

Studying the lanky brunette, Regina noticed an unhealthy amount of bruising along her limbs and a shiner darkening her left eye. Her clothes torn and ruffled suggested her faithful servant had been in a fight. “Why weren’t you in your wolf form?” Unspoken expectations dictated the question, but the fire in Red’s eyes suggested an outcome neither expected.   

 

“Really?! That's what you decided to lead with?” Reaching a new level of anger, her body tensed and hands grappled with air. “I WAS! I AM MISSING FUR IN PLACES THAT I DON’T EVEN WANT TO DISCUSS! SHE BIT MY TAIL! WHO DOES THAT?!”

 

Red had earned a sensible level of forgiveness over the years for these little outbursts. Calmly waiting out the wolf’s over-reacting tantrum, Regina slowly stalked forward in a warning when her patience wore thin. The clacking of heels curved the wolf’s chaotic tempo to a dead beat.  

 

Bright blue eyes widen, “...It will take months to re-grow.” Her tone wavered under the dangerous proximity of her mistress.

 

Composing herself, she swallowed down the rest of her rant in a thick gulp. “I’m sorry.”

 

“Where is she?”

 

“In the dungeon. Strapped down.” The werewolf shivered. “At least, I hope she still is.” Stiffening over the unknown probabilities, Red let out a less than confident squeak.   

 

Brushing over the brown tresses, Regina attempted to soothe her battered ego, “Good girl.”

 

“Thank you, my lady.” The wolf attempted to hide her embarrassment with her condition, but her liege had held her leash for far too long to not see the pink tipped ears glowing from beneath the auburn hair.

 

“You may go.” With a gentle pat to Red’s crown, Regina dismissed the woman. 

 

The sorceress's hand touched the edge of the floor length mirror turning its surface to liquid silver. She stepped through to find an irate ninja straining to break the straps that pinioned her to the rack. With a hint of evil in her regal grin, she put more sway in her hips. The feigned anger fell away from the young Asian woman as the witch’s eyes began to glow.

 

“Well, if it isn’t the long-lost daughter of Fa Zhou, financier to the celestial worlds of Mu, Xiao, and Lemuria.”

 

The girl’s eyes narrowed as she set her jaw. “Great. If you think you can exploit me by using my father’s interests against me, think again. I would rather die. Please, kay, and no thanks. Marrying anyone of his choosing...that is not a life.”

 

Regina’s lips ticked upward. “I don’t doubt that.” Purple swirled out from her irises eclipsing her eyes. “Listen carefully Mulan, your freedom is-”

 

An annoyed snort interrupted Regina’s words, “The name’s Eddie--Mulan no longer exists. Can we avoid a monologue-heavy on the exposition and get to the point?”  

 

Tilting her head in mock bemusement, “Sure.” Prowling the line of light encircling the arrogant woman, she focused on the spell working in her subconscious and tethered their minds together. Fear twisted through the smug features as the magic threaded deeper into Eddie’s being.

 

“Be useful to me, and you’ll remain free from the idyllic life your father has planned for you. You are not Stepford material. Your flair for the dramatic is frowned upon in the Barbie world.” Bone-chillingly cold magic flooded through the woman’s body, eliciting a pained gasp for air.  Needles of ice lodged in her throat and clogged her veins, causing her body to thrash against the shackles. “Disappoint me, and we’ll revisit this place. Disobey me…” A sinister chuckle bubbled behind Regina’s lips, “Daddy gets an obedient little girl after I’ve had my fun. That version of you, well, he won’t have any trouble making you conform.”

 

Wordlessly Eddie wanted to speak; groans frothed from the contorted mouth, but speech remained impossible.  

 

“I’ll take that as an agreement to my offer.”  Instantly the pain retreated, settling the convulsive movements. “But we are far from over. I need to ensure you fully understand my expectations and the consequences of failure.”  Terrified eyes stared silently up at her. “When we are done here it will only have been a realistic nightmare. You’ll remember it as such. Works better that way. I can’t have Emma knowing of our time together.”

 

“Besides, only one person is allowed to hold all the pieces to the plot. It’s standard protocol.”  Instantly the cranks to the chains on the rack began to turn, pulling the metallic limbs taut. A stomach-turning shriek reverberated through the cobblestone structure, stirring the menagerie housed within the dungeon’s vast catacomb of chambers.

 

“Hush.” Barely an octave above a whisper brought the disorderly shouts, growls, and cries to an eerie quiet. “This is nothing more than a horrific dream. You’ll wake in your bed with all of your limbs attached. No reason to be melodramatic. Trust me, I don’t destroy useful things. I just encourage them to be obedient in my requests.” A sharp twist had the metal ripping in a slow stretch from fleshly strands. ‘+5 mechanized limbs are only useful while attached’ Regina’s mind evaluated each artifact as she ingrained her desires into her latest acquisition.

 

“Hurting my Wolf, though, was a misstep.  I hope you learn to appreciate her company like I do.” A half turn had Eddie screaming in heavy gasps.  “You need to work on teambuilding and respecting your colleagues. Going forward you two will work together. She is my property as is Emma. Hurting them is to hurt me.”  A slow crank popped bones from the prosthetic sockets, “Both of you need to look after my interest, Emma. Are you able to do that? Keep the blonde out of trouble and distract her from the misery of daily life?”  Pouring the image of the blonde girl into Eddie’s mind, she twisted the handle further.

 

Gasping, “Yes!  I will, she’ll be distracted and safe.”

 

“Your date better be impressive, or I will turn you into an oriental rug for my bedchamber.” An irritating whine of metal and bone tearing apart screeched over Eddie’s bellowing before Regina relented.  “Pleasant chat, let's do this again sometime, but not too soon. Sweet dreams.” Another sharp tug severed the limbs before the woman evaporated from her sight.

 

Illuminating purple continued to pour from her eyes, conjuring a small mirror she gleaned the sleeping form of the Asian, limbs fully intact, on a well-worn futon.  Her body shifting uncomfortably in its cushioned cradle, consumed by the terrifying dreams cultivated in their shared time together. “Don’t fail me.” She lingered over the image for a while longer before it shifted to the blonde mess of tangles and body strewn over a made bed. “Oh, Little Lost Girl, what have you done now?”  The fair-skinned foot hanging over the edge rested comfortably on a man’s shoulder.

 

“Who are you?”  She wondered aloud feeling the unwelcomed clench of jealousy in her stomach.

 

The black haired scruffy looking man, had dark eyeliner on with an unhealthy pale complexion to contrast his features. Even with a foot digging into his face, he seemed relaxed.  Delving into his mind, his name flickered in her awareness, Killian. 

 

Brotherly love for the woman in the bed flooded her mind. His memories of finding the blonde tucked in the bushes played with concern over her thoughts.  Unwanted, he stayed in the shadows to watch her back. Failure weighed heavily in his consciousness, upon seeing her lifeless body dropping from the third story window.  He hated the hesitation in his feet, wanting to catch her, but forced to watch as his body refused to move. A newborn in his skin, he felt encumbered by the intoxicating call of his Master pounding through his veins. 

 

He was keeping vigil, while the blonde slept, the last resort to find purpose in Emma's life.

 

“You might be of some use.”  Her voice remained in the dungeon, but the man sensed her presence there in the room.  

 

“Try me, I’ll end you.”  The statement whispered through the mirror as he managed to push back against her mental link.  “I’m undead, bitch.” Raising a solitary finger, he leaned into the foot and closed his eyes. 

 

A smile captured her features, “Challenge accepted.”  Contemplating how to handle the vampire, she loomed over the sleeping blonde waiting for something in her mind to click. The commending need to possess every ounce of the girl’s being, control her world, and to what?  Protect her? Destroy her? 

 

Emma Wyman, the parasite rooted deep in Regina’s heart. Indignation tore a scoff from her chest, whatever answer she needed remaining hidden.   

 

Barring herself from the room, she watched in a sorrow filled expression as the lifeless features rippled through the silver surface.  Alabaster skin dressed in a hospital gown shined through. Resting on her side, the raven-haired woman was tethered by medical cords reading her vitals.  Unable to bear the vast distance she allowed herself to be drawn in through the mirror.

 

Standing by the bed, she carded her hand through the short dark locks,  “How are you?”

 

“Better than I look.” Came the weak tone facing the opposite wall.  “You don’t have to check in on me, I’m not going anywhere.” Slumped shoulders rippled in a slight chuckle.

 

“I needed to see you, Snow.” Her regal demeanor cracked revealing the aching soul beneath it.

 

“You’ve seen me, impressed?” One dark eyebrow lifted on the ghostly white skin.

 

“Always.” Taking the vacant chair beside the bed, she waited out the stoic woman’s patience. “Only you would still push against me at death’s door.”  

 

Rolling over, cloudy brown eyes met hers, “You couldn’t sleep either?” A hacking cough sprang from her throat, wet and rattly. “I’m trying to never sleep. It will come permanently soon enough.” 

 

“Sleep is-”

 

“Not a necessity for you, I know. If only Riker would rest, it would be one less person to worry about.”

 

A fond grin blossomed on the witch’s face. “He’s your husband. I would think you know that man better by now. How could he?  You’re here, and he’s out there struggling to keep his job. I have Graham watching his back, but his stubbornness has both of them working to death. There are times I am not sure which one is the bigger liability.”

 

Snow shrugged. “What can he do? He needs something to do other than watching me wither away. No one should endure this from the sidelines. It’s bad enough to watch myself dying, but to watch the people I care about looking at me, and suffering for it...”

 

“I am the one here though.” The watery note in the husky voice brought heft to her words.

 

“I never asked you to be. Same goes for him. Only one of you chooses to listen, my passing is inevitable. Please, Regina. Live, don’t drown here with me.” The painful accusation caused the witch’s face to contort in distress.

 

Then, Regina wrapped one tan hand around Snow’s pale, emaciated wrist. “But I can save you; I know I can. I’m not giving up on you, never.”

 

“You said it yourself, what I have is beyond your understanding.”

 

Knowing Snow spoke the truth, the witch disagreed with each emphatic head shake. “I will understand it, I just need more time.”

 

“Somethings can’t be fixed; don’t burden yourself with my fate. I want it to be that best memory and not this in your mind.”  The bruising beneath Snow’s eyes flooded with pleading tears.

 

“Snow, don’t give up hope.”

 

“I haven’t. I’m a realist. I have to be prepared.”

 

Pushing to her feet, Regina stepped closer to the bed. She towered over the ailing woman.“You shouldn’t have to be prepared for the worst. You have a direct line to fate with me, I won’t give up on you. I will figure this mess out and give you your life back. I promise.”

 

A feeble smile responded. “I don’t need a lifetime for me. I want your comfort while there is still time left. I want you to find peace with the inevitable. Not everything, nor is everyone fixable. That direct line to fate must be for something else or related to the past. You are misinterpreting the foreshadowing. I want you to let it go and enjoy my friendship while I am alive. That’s what you can give me.”

 

“Always thinking on such a small scale, my angel. You are my saving grace.” Tenderness and love shone in mahogany orbs. The impending loss hung heavily on her shoulders.

 

“No, I am grounded by reality and its existence.  You aren’t which is why we could never be more than friends. Best of friends. It’s also why you have longed for more. You always want what you can’t have.”

 

“I could give you so much more than this.”

 

“You mean you could give me more than Riker ever did. Now look who is thinking on a small scale. Even before this illness you were tethering yourself to something you would outlast, not by days, weeks or years...you will outlive me centuries. I am but a small speck and you are the greatest desert. I'm content with what I already had. We’ve been here so many times, if you love me, let me go. Find love with someone that could be a companion across the ages.” Tears gathered in red-rimmed eyes. “Neither of you has been fair to me. Why is it that I’m the one dying, but I am stronger than both my greatest loves?”

 

“I’m not ready to let go.” Regina pressed her lips to Snow’s sweaty brow with the tactile nature of a ghost, ineffectual and unsatisfying.

 

“No one ever is.” 

  
  
  
  


__


	3. A Dream Deferred or Differed

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Two years later Emma is still thieving and things are still going sideways...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The SQ portion has officially started in a teensy weensy way if you squint really hard.

Two Years Later

 

Sweat beaded across the blonde’s brow, a sure sign of her panic when confronted with a massive amount of electrical components.  Fingers hovered over the multiple wires, searching for the absurdly colored grey and black line. 

 

“She said it was unmistakably obvious. Inch thick, wrapped in thermal mesh tape.  Looks like a snake stuck in a platinum box.” Frustratingly reciting the layman's description, she leaned further under the desk-like dashboard.  

 

Despite the change in distance, everything remained pretty much a tangle of crayon-colored wires--not one single grey and black wire. Emma ran a frustrated hand through her curly mass.

 

“If it were a snake, I would let it bite me. I swear it looks like a Crayola factory exploded in here.”  Her growling muted instantly as the communicator received the incoming call. 

 

“Hey sweetie, how are things going on your end?”  The feminine voice purred through her head.

 

Coiling her jaw, Emma tamped down the annoyance brimming in her throat. She knew all too well when her girlfriend pushed all her buttons.  “Fantastic, just staring down this big panel of wires and thingys that look like they might zap me.” Successfully avoiding to come across as irritated, she ended up sounding more like a confused dimwit who had failed miserably at a simple task.  “Maybe you chose the wrong person to handle this part of the plan?”

 

A loud pop and distant groans from someone in the background flooded the channel before the cooly collected tone responded,  “Not all of us can squeeze into tight places like yourself. Plus, you have a surgeon’s steady hands and talented fingers.” She seductively emphasized the last part of her statement. Part of her hated how easily Eddie manipulated her; another part sent all her blood to her nether regions.

 

Warmth spread over the blonde’s face as her jaw drew slack, “Oh… I like your pep talks.” The timid squeak in her voice expressed the effectiveness of the woman’s tactic. 

 

“Glad I can still be of service.”  Emma could feel the smirk beaming through her lover's words.  “Now that I have your undivided attention; how much time have you wasted removing the wrong panel?”

 

“What…?” All of the warm and fuzzy feelings drained from her body as she sat back a bit to inspect the maintenance hatch.  Nothing about it struck her as wrong. Hell, nothing stood out as right either, but damn it, she was a reality-bending mage, not an engineer. 

 

“Considering how obvious the A.I. cerebral cortex cord is, I suspect you dismantled the co-pilot side maintenance hatch.” Devoid of chiding, she spoke sweetly to the blonde when pointing out the crucial mistake. 

 

“Correct your course, sweetie, and repeat the process on the starboard side cockpit.” Emma’s shoulders slumped with the knowledge she had already fubared.

 

“What does that even mean?”  Emma whined. She facepalmed and waited for an explanation she understood.

 

“Your right side, babe.” Electrical snaps and buzzing with thudding blasts followed bringing the brief friendly banter to a screeching stop.  

 

Training her attention on the background noises had the blonde’s features screwing in part confusion and disbelief,  “Babe, what is going on out there?” More chaotic sounds responded and shouts from other people came across in a muddy mix of feedback and heavy pants for air. A blood-curdling scream pierced through the haze of sounds followed by a loud roar vibrated her eardrums in a painful pitch.  

 

Protectively grabbing her victimized ears, she rocketed to her feet. “EDDIE! WHAT DA FUCK IS GOING ON?!” Using her girlfriend’s name warranted an answer. “Whatever that was sounded like it may fall somewhere between Goliath and Godzilla size.” 

 

A reassuring snort followed by background noise did nothing to dissipate her nerves.

 

Leaning over the control console of the co-pilot’s chair she strained to see through the partially opened hangar doors. The distance beyond the metal structure miniaturized the figures scrambling down the runway in the orange glow from the setting sun.  A mountain of flesh laid eviscerated with red globs spattered over the dirty grayish concrete ahead of the small group of people advancing on the scene. A solitary figure emerged from what appeared to be the nape of the creature’s neck with steam rising from the person’s body as taut maroon strands snapped loose freeing them from the carcass.

 

A calming sigh trickled through the jumbled sounds,  “Remember how we were supposed to provide a distraction?”

 

Emma’s observation of the mutilated giant gave her plenty of information to formulate an idea, but her irrational judgment tended to cause unnecessary strife in the party.  “What did that damn eyeliner-wearing vampire do?” It was less of a question and more of an accusation. All they asked her to do was try to reign it in a little, and in her mind she did.

 

“Took on a titan in fisticuffs.”

 

Cringing at the bland description, she hazarded to ask, “And that went…?”

 

“I’m shouldering a vampire backpack. He’s missing a leg and fists, he’s all cuffs at the moment.”

 

“How is he not an effigy?”  She really didn’t mean to ask the question, but again it was about the effort asked of her to remain a team player that had the feigned sentiment of concern dragged from her lips. “Or maybe a totem? Yeah, he’s a definitely a decorative pole.”

 

“He’s sporting a toe ring, starting his own trend in men’s fashion.”  

 

“Die you stupid git” drowned out their conversation in an Irish lilt. 

 

A stupid grin sets on the blonde’s face moment before the realization of her girlfriend’s situation hit home. Annoyance vibrated in her throat,  “If there is an opportunity to use him as a distraction, I give you full permission to drop the dead weight.”

 

Clicking her tongue, Eddie addressed the issue.“Babe, he’s super useful now soaking up the blaster bolts aimed at my back.  Besides our group needs to remain diverse for literary purposes. You expressed that at the last meeting when we tried to kick him out, remember?”

 

“Damn, you’re right.  Okay, just do a few more circles, and I will hopefully sweep in to save you before your vampire shield is disintegrated. If he never recovers, it’s no great loss.”   

 

“My hero.”  

 

Shaking off the smile from her lips, Emma slipped around to the pilot’s cockpit controls.  A few minutes less than before, she repeated the process of dismantling the hatch and stared down the intimidatingly larger than expected cord.  “Please don’t be a big spiky-thingy at the end of it.” She pleaded with the object before yanking it free. A long metallic, sharp rod slid from the port, bringing a nauseating sense of dread to the forefront of her mind.

 

“Checking in for an update.  How are you doing?” There was a hint of panic in Eddie’s voice.

 

“Where am I supposed to put this thing?”  Emma’s nervous response only added to the terrifying reality she faced in the immediate future.

 

“Silly, I didn’t do risky surgery for an unnecessary circumstance.  That wickedly cool looking bit of tech embedded in your arm is the hijack port.”

 

“I don’t want to do this.”  Came the squeaky rapid panicked reply.

 

The familiar groan from their vampire companion dully flickered in the background, “Killian didn’t want to be my fashion accessory and used as a shield, but he’s managing quite nicely.  A few more shots though and soon your girlfriend will have some unwanted ventilation holes. But, sweetie, you take your time and contemplate inserting that harmless A.I. jack. I’ll just continue dodging and weaving the onslaught of shots from the growing militia tailing me until you're ready to make that choice.”  Only the words felt sarcastic, her soothing tone sounded optimistic and light as if there was no cause for alarm. “You should know, August is fairing well under pressure. I believe he’s up to sixteen kneecap shots, not one person killed so far in a cybernetic rage. He’s really come a long way from murdering organics, definitely beginning to understand the difference between self-defense and murder.”

 

“Oh, that’s nice.”  Concern scrunched up her features, the longer her girlfriend talked, the more helpless the distraction team’s situation seemed.  Tensing, Emma braced for the painful feedback she assumed would follow and injected the five-inch-long metal spike into the port protruding from her forearm.  “Okay, it’s in, now what?”

 

“Clear your mind and wait a moment for S.A.M. to boot up.”

 

“Sam? Who is that? Boot? What are you saying?” Her voice squeaked reminding everyone that at her core, she’s a tiny furry rodent. The blonde thief displayed all the signs of a classic, full-blown tantrum.

 

“You're rescuing the A.I. from it's cruel masters.  I merely intended on taking the ship for an exit strategy which still requires our artificial friend’s help. If it makes you feel any better, he’s supposedly a sweet guy.”

 

“I didn’t agree to this!” She stomped her feet and flailed her arms before noticing the theatrics didn’t help without an audience.

 

“I know sweetie. It’s better to ask for your forgiveness later than to force you into a scheme that requires you to play a temporary host to another being’s consciousness again.”

 

“This feels all kinds of forced!”

 

“Silly babe, all I did was withhold a little information. There's no gun pointed at your head this time.” 

 

“You do realize that seducing me so that you can drug, kidnap, and perform unauthorized surgery on me is not my idea of a date night, right?” Growling out the words through a clenched jaw she stared absently, waiting for her girlfriend's apologetic reply. Moments like these punctuated their on-and-off again romance reminding the girl why they had an open relationship; she felt utterly replaceable.

 

Nothing came through the silence.  “EDDIE!?” she sharply demanded an answer.

 

Brushing off the blonde’s heated question, Eddie let out a soft chuckle. “Just relax or the A.I.’s connection will…” 

 

Emma didn’t relax.  She clenched her teeth. Her wisdom roll of 20 opened her eyes. Relax. Nope, instead she began to understand her girlfriend was biding her time until the A.I. booted. 

 

“Fuck!”

 

Blinding white flashes of light painfully surged through her eyes and into her head.  A disembodied synthetic male tone echoed in an unintelligible dialect through her mind triggering a bout of PTSD from the last possession experience she had years ago. Energy poured into her body overloading every sense of her being, sending her stumbling back until completely collapsing onto the cold, unfeeling metal floor.  Unwillingly her eyes slammed shut leaving her in a disorientingly long period of blackness.

 

Unaware of how much time passed, she awoke in the upright position with her hands systematically sweeping over the array of illuminated controls on the pilot dashboard.  “I appreciate the offer, but I like her the way she is.” Her girlfriend’s familiar teasing tone chuckled in her ears.

 

“As you wish.  Departure in five minutes, we will meet you at the end of the airstrip.”  It had been her own voice speaking, but not Emma’s words. 

 

“Hello Emma, I am S.A.M.  Please relax, I am attempting to rescue your friends.”  The synthetic voice quietly assured the blonde’s thoughts.  “I apologize for the intrusion, it wasn’t meant to be painful with a willing participant.”

 

“Nothing was willing about joining with you.”  She grumbled, surprised to have spoken the thought.

 

“Of course, had you been aware, the process would have been seamless and less intrusive.” The sentiment felt as cold as the artificial voice saying it.

 

“Just fly the damn ship.”

 

Absently, her hands flicked over the various controls like a professional pianist stroking the ivory keys.  The rumbling of the massive engines vibrated down her spine as the ship started to slide towards the closed doors.

 

Trepidation mounted as the dark metal swallowed up her field of sight,  “Uh… the doors.”

 

“My system access is limited.”  As if searching for the most organic phrasing possible he paused, or he was enjoying making Emma squirm.  She believed it to be the latter. “I’m improvising.” Rolling the winged craft onto its side in a jarring move had the tip of one wing dragging roughly along the ground.

 

“We aren’t going to fit!”  Her eyes grew wide.

 

“Correct.” The A.I.’s response did little to ease her nerves. 

 

“And, you are okay with that?”

 

“Irrelevant context. Concise calculations lack encumberment of emotion.”

 

“I DISAGREE!”

 

“Noted.”     

 

Unable to shut her eyes and braced for the inevitable impact, Emma helplessly looked on as the ship collided with the thick metal.  Screeching, scraping, and whining swept over the cabin, sparks and smoke washed over the nose. Pitching hard to the left, the ship slammed unrelentingly through the solid structure, bending the thick plates of steel outwards until the craft unceremoniously wedged free.

 

Blinding ombre orange and red flooded the cabin, illuminating the bland, clinical interior with a kaleidoscope of pinks and yellowish hues.  “Crisis averted.” S.A.M’s monotone voice cooly stated, yet she felt his arrogance growing. His cockiness seeped into her consciousness.

 

Soaring over the carnage, S.A.M. flung them down the airstrip and sharply twisted the craft to a hovering pause in front of the team.  A camera feed blinked into the blonde’s vision from the starboard side. A familiar female asian with metallic limbs retracted her swords before she hustled at the front with a taller caucasian man trailing shortly behind in a casual stride.  His demeanor remained calm even after a blast of energy struck him in the back. Further back a blur of black fur tackled a security officer, tearing at the man’s arm until he released his weapon. 

 

Clambering inside the open crew-cab, Eddie removed the cables crossed over her chest to release the extra weight of the unconscious vampire before turning to assist August onto the ship.  The wolf continued providing cover, knocking down the advancing militia members that were too close. 

 

“Hey babe, nice job on the rescue.  I really appreciate it.” Eddie said with a little strain in her voice as she pulled the cyborg inside.

 

“It was all Sam,”  Emma mumbled in disbelieving embarrassment, her voice carrying through the ship’s intercom. 

 

“S.A.M. couldn’t have rescued us if you didn’t conquer your fear of needles.”  Eddie attempted to soothe the bruised ego.

 

Emma wanted to roll her eyes at the statement, but her mind focused on the furball bounding from body to body a few meters out.  “Just get the Wolf.”

 

“Still sore.”  She acknowledged her girlfriend’s mood.  With a sharp whistle on her fingers, she called the wolf over to the ship, but the closer it got, the more cautious it became.  

 

“I don’t think she likes the idea of flying, Eddie.”

 

“I don’t care what she likes. You said the wolf is crucial to the plot. We’ll grab her ass if necessary.” 

 

Staring down the hovering craft as if it were an instrument of death, the wolf began a slow back peddle from the exhaustion worn woman.  With shots whizzing past her head and the woman vigilantly matching steps to keep the gap between them narrow, Red felt the chilling presence of her mistress slide into her mind.

 

_ “What are you doing?” The witch’s sultry voice echoed in her skull. _

 

“I have four legs and paws, nothing about me is made for flight.”

 

_ “My interest, your target is on that ship. Be the faithful servant you are, and go willingly.” _

 

“Right, and she will be at home soon enough.  I can just run back there to meet her.”

 

_ “Don’t disappoint me, wolf. We both know that plans change. Courses alter. You will follow her every move until I say otherwise.” _

 

“But…”

 

_ “No.” _  Silence followed.  A second later she realized her body was frozen in place.  _  “This is not a negotiation. This is the epitome of a railroad and if you dare think you can defy me I will show you just how thin your plot armor is.” _

 

The subtle threat sent a shiver down her spine and twitched the fluff of her tail.  “Understood, my Lady.” Shrinking in size, she reverted to her puppy state and sat obediently waiting for the human female to collect her.  Absent of a cute oversized bow, the pup managed to appear completely compliant with a gentle welcoming sway of her tail. “I am adorable, please take me with you.”  Knowing her mistress lingered, she decided to cock her head and fold one of her ears.

 

_ “Now you are overselling it.” _

 

“Am I though?  Death or cuteness, I prefer to live thanks.” 

 

“Neat trick.”  Eddie’s voice tickled with mirth as she scooped the pup into her arms and dodged the incoming shots.  She didn’t have time to explore the strange desire to cuddle with the pup against her naked body bubbling to the surface on this revelation.  

 

Legging it back to the ship, she received cover fire from August, who had a disturbingly wicked grin on his face; one she knew too well when he was left to his own devices.  “You better not have killed anyone.” She said as she punched him in the shoulder as she carried the pup into the ship’s interior.

 

The human eye followed Eddie’s movements while the cybernetic one fixated on targets at the end of his rifle’s scope,  “I didn’t kill anyone.” He smirked, watching her climb aboard. “The energy bolts did More like eviscerated.” His rationalization of the truth brought a frustrated sigh from the, otherwise calm, woman.

 

Tucking the wolf into her torn jacket, Eddie settled into one of the many seats that lined the ship’s hull.  August fired a few more rounds in an excessive amount of overkill before sliding the crew-cabin door closed.  

 

Contently buried into the supple flesh of the woman’s chest, Red took in a deep sniff of the pleasantly warm salty musk.  Emma watched, almost rigid with jealousy, but the A.I. companion had her body bending to its needs. “Your heart rate has increased to an unhealthy level, might I suggest-”

 

“Can it.”

 

“But, might I add- If I am reading your data stream correctly you only see the foreshadowing. Nothing to fear for the moment.”

 

“Would you like me to fry you?”

 

“A power surge could cause a momentary delay in my cognitive abilities, but the unnecessary feedback of emotion you’re experiencing now will persist.  It won’t change the plot structure, nor will it assist with your escape. Are you capable of flying the ship during my momentary lapse?”

 

“What do you want?”

 

“To offer my condolences.  The wolf’s cuteness ratio out measures yours.”     

 

“Maybe.”

 

“No, weasels aren’t that cute.”

 

Sigh.

 

Hours later Emma dragged herself through the door.  Her house was silent and dark, no one there to welcome her back from a risky venture.  Grateful though, considering she looked far worse for wear. 

 

Willing her feet to climb the stairs, she paused halfway up.  The day’s events worked on her nerves; she longed for the security of her mother’s arms.  Too many close calls had Emma pondering why she risked so much. At the back of her mind, a seedling of doubt about Eddie’s affections grew. If her girlfriend genuinely cared would her life be on the line this often?  Her potential exposure could ruin what little remained of her family’s comfort. She needed a reality check.

 

Tip-toeing to the downstairs bedroom at the back, she steeled her backbone and opened the door.  Only the glow from varied medical machinery lit the room. The hissing of breath forced through a steady mechanized rhythm, a cheyne-stokes like pattern the ventilator fought to correct, drew awareness to the immobilized occupant.  A solitary chair left beside the bed welcomed her. It hugged her shape as it had on countless nights these last few years. The weight of responsibility sat profoundly on her shoulders.

 

Emma approached the faintly illuminated outline of the patient occupying the bed.  Sadness captured her heart, stifling her breath with a weak sniffle. “Hey, mom.” Her voice tightened to constrain the sob building in her throat.

 

Pulling on the chain, the lamp-light brought a soft, warm glow to deathly pale features.  “Sorry if it’s bright, I just needed to see you.” Hovering beside the woman, her eyes strained for any flicker of discomfort from the sleeping form, but disappointedly nothing stirred, nothing changed.

 

Sitting down she grasped the sickly cold hand,  “I had an adventure today. Stole a ship and befriended an A.I.  Managed to get enough pay to handle Neal’s tuition debt and help Pa with the mortgage.”  She paused, hopefully watching as if her words were seeping into her mother’s subconscious.  Again she had no reaction, not even the heart-rate monitor. 

 

Wishing for a flourish of concerned words to be thrown back at her, Emma’s heart sank crippling her posture and drew the weight of her head down.  Tears sprung from the tightly closed lids, “You would have loved the way the sun colored the sky today.” She brushed her cheek over the woman’s wrist and planted a gentle kiss on the back of her hand.  Curling forward she sought a comfortable place to rest her head with the chilled knuckles pressed against her temple.

 

“I miss your voice.”  She sighed into a trembling tone that lulled to a gentle breath.

 

Waiting in the shadows stood a silent figure.  When sleep finally consumed the girl, the quiet observer stalked forward and plucked the girl’s favored blanket from the air with a hiss of magic.  Purple mist lazily poured over the fabric and evaporated, leaving the dangling white knitted material clutched in the woman’s hand. 

 

Draping the comforting garment over the teen’s back, she tenderly carded her hand through the long locks,  “Not the outcome either of us expected. She does hear you, even if it doesn’t seem like it.” A wavering tone of sorrow played on the red lips.  “I promised to break you, but this was not what I intended.” Guilt gnawed its way through her stomach. 

 

Turning her attention to the snow-kissed woman she leaned forward and brushed a hand over the peaceful features,  “I know it’s been a while since we’ve talked…” She couldn’t finish her words, the trembling in her voice threatened to pull her into a fit.

 

Steeling herself, she pressed on and kissed the woman’s temple.  “Please hang on, Snow.” Unwilling to delve beyond the surface she withdrew,  “Just a little more time, I swear I will come back, but I want to bring you hope.  I can’t face you without it. The red string of fate binds us for better or worse. How I wish you could have seen the tether. I wish you had understood.”    

 


	4. I Close My Eyes to See (The Super Meta Chapter)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We find out more about Emma's parents which varies greatly from the show for obvious reasons.
> 
> And, it takes meta to a whole new level. Beware of the BBoM.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Xevn and I are having a blast writing this but life has not be super cooperative. We have all the way through chapter 6 written. 7 is close to finished, but that is as far as we have achieved. I am hoping we can stay somewhat ahead, but right now I struggle to see how we will manage. I hope you are enjoying the ride.

Riker wiped the last bit of grime from the gun barrel. He sat at his kitchen table cleaning his service weapon. He set it aside and worked two more relics from his time on the gang task force. Untraceable weapons were a necessary evil. He held up the piece, clicked the chamber to the side and one-eyed the barrel in time for that bloodthirsty bastard to step through his door carrying an unconscious Emma over his shoulder.

 

“Killian, why is it that when Emma does something fun and comes home happy and healthy she has Eddie or the pup, but if she’s at death’s door I have to deal with your undead ass?” He hefted the weapon clearing the chamber with a sharp yank on the mechanism. The menacing sound did not phase the miserable creature darkening the doorway. Instead, the greasy haired vampire ignored the derogatory comments. He took the stairs two at a time before kicking her bedroom door open and dropping her lifeless form on the bed.

 

“What happened this time?”

 

Scarred, weathered and muscular, Riker leaned on the door frame studying the intruder as he pulled off his daughter’s boots and placed them at the end of the bed.

 

“Mate, the answer is always the same. Quit asking what your badge shouldn't hear. She’ll wake in a few hours with something akin to a hangover. Her girlfriend’s sense of humor took a greater toll than I like. I gave her a medi-draught to help her through. Time will do the rest. G’night.” 

 

Pale and thirsty, Killian’s nostrils scented the poor fool that had followed him from the landing zone. The ex-cop gritted his teeth in response. “Yo. Plasmaterian. Get out of my house before you start salivating over your next kill. In case you haven’t noticed, we are still bleeders here.”

The vamp pushed past the man blocking the door. Emma’s life choices baffled him, but with a shrug, he left her father to stand vigil.

 

Cautiously, the aging cop approached the bed. He fluffed a pillow and lifted her head to slide it under only to find Snow’s pendant dangling from the case. The girl rolled her body, pushing her face into the softness. Roughly, he yanked the metal free and held it in his hand. 

 

_ Riker dusted the dirt and debris from his still crisp uniform. His graduating class from the academy hit the streets for the first time today. Three hours into an exceedingly boring morning, he and his assigned cyborg, Graham received the call that altered the course of everything. _

 

_ “Rookie, the five points are known for a disturbing lack of civic interest.” _

 

_ The lean recruit stepped back from the derelict building and examined the exterior of the structure disappearing into the clouds miles overhead. His optics isolated the insignia of a known technomancer, a blue sparrow made out of ones and zeroes only seeable through a fluoroscope.  _

 

_ “I think this is our building.”  _

 

_ The heavy thunk of the cybernetic boots made the hair on Riker’s neck stand. Suddenly, a whisper of air drew his attention. His fingers closed around the feathered needle protruding from his neck. “Oh, fuck..” _

 

_ Riker turned his head to face his partner. Instead of the normal glowing green eyes, he met smurf blue. He gulped in the realization that his partner had been compromised. The taller being leaned into his space bringing their noses within an inch. “Newbie, some of us get offended when you step on our turf. What’s the call out for?” _

 

_ He flinched hearing the high pitched feminine voice emanating from the tall half man, half machine. His mouth involuntarily answered. “We have a 415 in progress on the sixtieth floor. We were in route when I noticed your call sign.” _

 

_ Graham’s head pulled back and gave a long slow whistle. “Aren’t you a fine distraction. I’m going to return your partner to working mode. But, I need you not to be looking for me. Someday soon, I will find you.” _

 

_ “Why would I agree to that?” _

 

_ “Pretty boy, we both know you are scared because you didn’t even remember to hit the disable override, nor did you identify yourself immediately.” The cyborg’s nimble fingers plucked the dart from the man’s neck. _

 

_ “I still don't’ see why I would turn a blind I to you.” _

 

_ “For one, I am not why you were called out. Two, I now have a minute explosive in your carotid. If you don’t follow instructions, you will have an artery burst for no apparent reason. There isn’t a doctor anywhere capable of saving you. Is that reason enough?” _

 

_ Not waiting for his response, Graham stepped three steps back, went rigid then his eyes returned to normal. “What are you staring at, rookie? Daylight’s burning. The elevator’s to the left.” _

 

_ They entered the building and pressed the button for the lift to arrive. Riker’s eyes scanned the mailboxes hoping to get a clearer picture of the occupants of the building. The names varied from being blank, obvious aliases like John Jones to the less obvious Lizbeth Kaldwin which caught his attention. Without a doubt, he knew who owned the box in front of his eyes. He pulled the plain gold pendant from his neck, a graduation present from someone who no longer mattered. Then pushed his thumb flat against the back leaving the clearest print possible and dropped it through the slot. _

 

_ “You have a friend in the building?” _

 

_ Ding. The door slid open behind them. “Something like that.” They stepped on and into his first action as an officer. _

 

Quelling her darker desires from smashing through the closet door mirror, Regina’s toxic hate swelled in her throat. The dragon inside her thrashing against its cage demanded restitution in the form of Riker’s body crushed within its massive claws. Years were nothing more than seconds to her lifetime, and it felt like yesterday when he had stolen her coveted treasure. Unique and unmatched in value, irreplaceable, her Snow White.

 

Choking on the contradiction of her words used to define the blonde’s naivety, the witch tapered her jealous rage and focused on the girl resting beside him. 

 

The hum of the girl’s catalytic shard sang to the brunette as it worked to undo the level of damage inflicted on its host. The tune, off-key and tempo, lacked the beauty a funeral dirge played on an organ grinder. Faint and flickering in pitch, she suspected Emma’s most recent adventure tested the imperfect crystal's limit. She found it, nearly extinguishing her life in the process.

 

She waited impatiently for the incapable man to vacate before taking his place beside Emma.  Instinctually her hand carded through the messy blonde strands, “That staff wasn’t yours to take, dearest.”  She quietly scolded, “Now I have another thing to worry about.” Feigning irritation her tone mellowed in a slow breath. 

 

Studying the pained grimace materializing over Emma’s features, she heard the shard cry out to hers. Pleading for help as its energy dwindled. 

 

A frail hand clasped the rich fabric draped over Regina’s wrist, “Please...don’t leave me.” The trembling words whispered, but struck loudly in her ears.

 

Energy swelled around her brain, her shard responding on its own accord. Thickly weaving through the length of her arm, warmth pooled in the witch’s palm. “Am I to believe you know better than I?” She questioned the action, wondering if on some level it was her doing, but not entirely convinced. Nothing like this had ever happened before--she had longed for the ability to touch Snow and yet for the woman’s daughter, their magics bound them physically in ways no one ever managed before.

 

Energy joined, she felt hers caress the dying magic beneath her fingers. A harmonious vibration filtered through their skin. Hesitantly she allowed the strength of her shard to seep further into the girl’s body, dragging the pads in a soothing pattern along Emma’s scalp. With each stroke, the tone shifted from a piercing shrill panic to a luxuriant alto.

 

The shaky breaths from the blonde smoothed out, syncing in time with the witch’s. Dull pain echoed over Regina’s body, mirroring the injuries Emma sustained. A sluggish rhythm pulsed in her mind. Focusing her thoughts on the beats, she willed a lively tempo as her essence fed the girl’s body. The shards in their hearts undulated; a curious experience, for a short time both had become one. 

 

Successful in drawing the girl back from the lure of death, Regina released the connection. No longer bruised and damaged, Emma rolled into a comfortable position on her stomach.  

 

Appearing more like the girl she knew, Regina decided nothing more needed to be done to aid the blonde’s recovery. Though relieved, a cruel truth gnawed at her soul.

In a frustrated huff, Regina stepped through the mirror grumbling as she walked past her sleeping pet. Red’s long body still glistened with sweat. Eddie had left a string of love bites down the sated woman’s abdomen.

 

Following the sound of water striking tile from the bathroom, Regina steeled her spine and cracked her neck remembering the last time she interrupted a similar scene.

 

_ Riker slept face down in the pink flowered sheets. Regina stepped through the mirror into Snow’s apartment; a jealous rage was seething under her skin. She stumbled over the tangle of clothes on the floor. The woman’s bathroom floor held the last few week’s clothes, his and hers. _

 

_ “I thought you wanted there to be an us as much as I did.” _

 

 _Water sluiced over the younger woman’s back. She didn’t bother turning to see the ghostly appearance of the one who claimed to love her._ _“We both know you’ve tried everything. But, you can’t touch me. You can’t be with me. You say fate has drawn us together. Well, maybe it has, but it doesn’t make what we have real. What kind of relationship can you have with the wind?”_

 

_ A pale hand turned the water off and grabbed a towel. “Regina, I appreciate everything we’ve shared, but” she turned shining sad eyes at the witch. “You know as well as I do we aren’t going anywhere. We can’t.”  She sighed. She waved a hand in front of her bare chest. “Unlike you, these tits won’t stay perky forever.” she pointed to the mirror. “I need to find someone before age robs me of the chance.” _

 

_ Regina anticipated feeling heartbroken. Instead, she filled an anxious disappointment unfurl. Fate’s tricks could be cruel, but that thread connected them somehow. _

 

Unlike the rest of Eddie’s place, this room was immaculate and a tad bit exquisite in design. Steamed glass shower doors concealed the dark fleshy being behind them, the orange highlight streaks in the black mass of tangles faced the witch, leaving her presence unknown.

 

A shiny metallic hand reached over for a bottle, flicking the cap open had a stream of shampoo firing into the Asian’s eyes. “GOD FUCKING COCK-ASSHOLE SUCKER!” Enraged by the stinging sudds blinding her vision, she stumbled to maintain her balance and dropped the bottle. Hands sought the source of water, navigating the wet and slippery tile in tiny shifting steps.

 

Watching Eddie shamble under the pleasantly warm spray and cleared her eyes, Regina smirked and began to move her index finger in a circle. Steam instantly vanished, sending the Asian in a clumsy jump backward as freezing water shocked her body. Stepping on the discarded shampoo container, her foot lost traction and sent her tumbling to the ground in a disorganized mess. 

 

Her limbs stretched out, ready to fire in all directions to stop the fall, but before anything more could be done, she found herself hovering. Paralyzed under the cold spray of water. 

 

“Okay Dragon-lady, it’s obvious you are upset about something not going as planned. Can we forego the humiliating level of torture and talk about it?” 

 

“No, I am committed. But we can still chat.”  Sounding bored more than anything, she approached the shower and leaned against the glass with her arms crossed over her chest. “Quite frankly, I’m questioning whether to kill you now or later, but I feel like the plot may suffer from your absence. We are only four chapters in, and I’m not convinced on the statistics of killing off a character this soon. If Congo can kill off Bruce Campbell in the first five minutes, nothing is sacred.” Less than enthusiastic, the witch snapped her fingers and drew her hand into pistol-like shape. Aiming for the showerhead, she collapsed her thumb like a hammer striking the firing pin. Frost covered the metal as the water’s temperature decreased to a degree above freezing.

 

Like liquid needles the water assaulted Eddie’s body, focusing mainly over her abdomen and other particularly sensitive spots.  “Pumpernickel!”

 

“No, dear you can handle more.” Icicles formed from the runoff along the oriental woman’s back. Eddie’s breaths became sharp desperate gasps. “Emma is  **not so invincible after all** . And today you practically  **dropped a bridge on her** .”

 

“Impossible. She has  **Script Immunity** .” Oddly the sensation of liquid ice splashing over her body evaporated, and the room around them blurred out of focus. Their positions didn’t change, nor did the distance, only the space they occupied.

 

Unphased and confident, Regina didn’t skip a beat in her response, “True, but someone must have fat-fingered a  **Hero Killer** into the story. Or, there is the possibility of  **Executive Meddling** . Seriously, if they can kill off Lexa Woods,  **anyone can die** . ”   

 

**Xevn sat back in his chair and crossed his arms, ‘Here we go again.’**

 

Eddie, on the other hand, was concerned with the change, she hadn't been trapped in a meta-story conversation with Regina before. She worried if this would be the moment she was snapped out of existence. While it seemed like she held her composure rather well, it was just the magic-induced paralysis keeping her from jumping out of her skin. “Considering where this story is posted?  I have my doubts. No way, no how, could a SwanQueen fic survive without the swan.” False confidence carried her words.

“Have you done your homework and checked the source material? If they can turn the Queen into Roni, and make Emma such a Hook-lovin’ weenie, killing her off wouldn’t be that big of a deal. For all we know, this is the wishverse, and I am going to be shipped with Robin. Yep, the tag says SwanQueen, but this could very well be a  **bait-and-switch** for OutlawQueen.”

 

“Oh, and they did make me Emma’s  **Temporary Love Interest** . Hmm, I do not like this train of thought. Please don’t make this a  **Die for Our Ship** fic.” Eddie’s stoic features melt into the actress desperately afraid for her renewed contract.

 

“First Season of Once, there was a lot of subtext and sexual tension between Emma and the Queen. Graham was demoted to  **Disposable Love Interest** . I don’t even have an ounce of interest in you.” Regina flipped her hair out of her sight and rubbed at her tired eyes. “At least you won’t have to star in those god-awful 50 Shades movies. Talk about a career killer.”

 

“So, what if I don’t attempt to kill Emma anymore?” Pushing up on an elbow, the Asian beauty asked earnestly.

“The possibility of your longevity increasing becomes more probable and you will be less likely to fail a fortitude, reflex or will save.”

 

Black eyebrows raise. “Really? Can you remind me of the rules again? Do I get a reroll or should I start working on my new character sheet? This isn’t nearly as straightforward as a regular script.”

 

A devastatingly sexy smirk appeared on the witch’s face. “As long as you follow my orders, you get a bonus to your saving rolls. But, if you don’t, there is no amount of luck in the multiverse to allow you to upload the new character.”

 

“Wait a sec, are we in a tabletop game or a self-aware fanfiction? I am really confused here. I’m sure the readers are too.”

 

“Think of it as a prewritten adventure module, and I am the GM running it. I get creative control whenever I want it.” She strutted toward the door, her cape blocking Eddie/Mulan’s view of her ass. Her outstretched hand suggested that her magical powers would resume in a split second.

 

Annoyed at the missed opportunity, she sat up and rubbed at her sore joints. “Okay… I am sure the rest of us are unfamiliar with what you are talking about, we’ll just google this later.”

 

“Are you done playing  **OOC** , because I am content with dropping you and letting gravity do its job. A broken neck would end your career as an adventurer.”

 

“I’m attached to this character, so yes.” Composing herself, she returned to the feeling of stinging cold water hitting her naked body.  Clenching her teeth, she fought to level her breath and endured the torture. 

 

**'Well, that went better than I expected.’ Cracking his fingers, Xevn set back to typing.**

 

A few grueling minutes later, Eddie found herself upright and staring down the backside of a woman dressed identically in her work coveralls. Even more oddly she had the same hairstyle and color, including the fiery orange highlights.

 

Feeling insecure over the level of her nakedness, she self consciously covered her chest and surveyed the room. Meeting the profile view of the witch standing beside her, Eddie let out an annoyed sigh. “Great, you’re not done torturing me.”

 

“No, I’m done. Now, we are here to revisit the mistake you made. I am hopeful you’ll take this as a learning experience.” Raising her hand while keeping her eyes trained on the past version of Eddie, she snapped her fingers, clothing the nude woman. “Pay attention.”

 

Coveting the warm caress of her coveralls with loving strokes of her fingers, “Was there a reason you didn’t dress me prior?” Eddie snarked her spoken-thoughts.

 

“Wanna keep those limbs?” Regina retorted in an indifferent tone.

 

A terrifying image flashed in her mind-- a menacing grin complete with pearly white teeth sparkling through slightly parted lips glared down at her prone body — the slimy sounds of flesh stretching and snapping loose provided an eerie soundtrack to the nightmarish memory.  

 

Clearing her throat uncomfortably, “I’m paying attention.” 

 

Bounding in full speed, the little white weasel made its entrance and leaped up onto the back of past Eddie’s pant leg. “August and Killian still managing the fight out there?” Turning her head, she met the furry creature as it perched on her shoulder. An unsure shrug answered the Asian’s question. “Well, we can at least count on Red to watch our backs.” She gently stroked the fluff under Emma’s chin. 

 

“Good news, I found the staff we were looking for. Bad news, I can’t touch it.” Her narrowing eyes honed in on Emma, emphasizing her unspoken plan. 

 

Immediately Emma sought escape only to be grabbed, “Sweetie, you’ll be fine.” Kissing the tiny head, she attempted to assure the blonde that she knew better. The red beady eyes and scrunched nose reflected the picture of doubt.  “You’re so cute when you worry.” 

 

“Alrighty, down to business.” Winding her hand back, she took a pitchers stance and lined up her shot. Unleashing the balled up weasel in a perfect throw, she watched the tumbling mess of fur reach its target. A pained gasp punctuated the moment Emma smacked to a dead stop against the floating golden cobra-shaped staff. Sliding down the rippled belly of the metallic serpent, the white-haired creature remained limp with its limbs still stretched outwards from the moment of impact.

 

When the feel of falling tugged in Emma’s stomach, she startled to life and wrapped her limbs around the sleek surface. The second her bare paws touched the item had dark electric energy sparking through the tiny body before completely swallowing it in a black shroud of pain. More of its mysterious power bubbled around the thief, tripling in size until it shot the fried rodent back.

 

Sliding to a stop the tiny prone body morphed into a charred humanized version of Emma. A deep gasp of air drew life back into the blonde. “Fuck that.” She growled, sitting upright her shoulders slumped, and head bobbed down.  

 

Eddie approached her girlfriend with a curious gaze. Kneeling beside her, “What was it like?” Detached from empathy, her inquisitive nature dictated her priorities.

 

“Please don’t make do this.” A somber sincerity echoed quietly in her words; she flinched away from the tender touch Eddie placed on her shoulder.  

 

“Babe, we have to.”

 

Enervated, her mind churned beneath the heavy grog searching for anything to say. Closing her eyes and clenching her jaw she wished to be anywhere else, but knew her family depended on her success. Daunted by the guilt of inescapable consequences if she were to fail left her no other option, “Gloves, Eddie.” Her voice small, she refused to meet eyes with her companion but offered a hand.

 

“That’s the spirit.” Eddie’s smile twisted her features into a mask of wicked glee. She sprang up and departed with her gloves quickly, dropping them in her partner’s hand. “I can’t guarantee these will have any protection against that magic, but I promise they won’t make it worse.”

 

“Yeah, whatever.” She mumbled, slipping the smooth leather fabric over her fingers and closed her fists, working the material until it loosened — anything to stall for time.

 

Sworn to the fate she was forced into, she dragged her feet and eyed the staff from her downcast glance. A menacing hiss responded to her proximity, growing louder with each step she took forward. All the warning signs were there, flashing brightly and blaring thunderously. Eddie simply ignored them, remaining a silent bystander she weighed her theories, and planned for the next move.

 

Unsure what would happen, Emma reached out with a shaky hand and grasped the neck of the snake-like staff. Eyelids clenched closed, expecting the worse, but surprisingly nothing happened. Tension escaped in the form of a relieved sigh rolling from her lips. Confident she wasn’t going to be blasted across the room, she met the ruby red gem-like eyes. “I’m just trying to get you back to your master, please don’t kill me.” Emma pleaded with the inanimate object.

 

A warm vibrating sensation coiled around her arm as if the staff understood her and welcomed her aid. Removing it from the pedestal, she swallowed down the last of her trepidation and faced her girlfriend. “I’ve got it.”

 

“Nice, babe. I never doubted ya for a second.” There were plenty of doubts circling the Asian's thoughts, but content with the outcome Eddie gave a thumbs up.

 

A few steps forward and things took a drastic turn. Black energy twisted up her arm, but no pain followed it. Spiraling around the limb like a snake coiling around its victim, it tightened and slithered up to her chest and stabbed directly into her heart. 

 

Mortified features consumed the blonde’s face. “Eddie.” Whispering the name like a plea for help, the blonde vanished in a dark mist that imploded with a pop. 

 

Clattering bootsteps from the hallway had Eddie turning away from the vacant spot Emma momentarily occupied to greet whoever entered the room. Panicked and confused the thief barely had time to draw her sword, but it was the welcomed sight of August, Killian, and the wolf that held her hand steady.  

 

“It- she’s- gone.” At a loss for once in her words, Eddie’s mind whirled with dread and disappointment. 

 

“What did you bloody do, Eds?” Killian shot towards the woman in his vampiric, blink and you will miss it, speed. Balling the fabric of her top in his fists he raised her from the ground demanding an answer.

 

“Nothing, I swear.”

 

A loud electric snap and flash of white dragged the vampire’s attention over the woman’s shoulder. “Emma!” Knocking Eddie to the side, Killian darted to the blonde’s steaming body. Curled and barely breathing, he surveyed the marred exposed flesh through the tattered coat. 

 

Hesitant to touch her, his hand hovered over her side looking for a place to land, “Come on, luv, say something.” His voice strained with grief; he tugged at her shoulder drawing Emma onto her back. Jagged deep red lines stretched from her closed eyes and spread to the ends of her face, “Em?”

 

Breath flickered from the blonde as pained features smoothed, “I’m finally back.” Her statement was one of relief, yet it left Killian and Regina both puzzled as to what the unconscious girl meant. 

 

A note pinned to Emma’s jacket provided little answers. 

 

**_Dear Acquisition Team,_ **

 

**_I’m grateful to your efforts in recovering the lost staff. I apologize for circumventing the middleman to retrieve it directly. Consider the payment doubled and already wired to your accounts. Due to the change in terms of Mr. Goldrich and my agreement, I’ve returned the girl as a bonus._ **

 

**_Kind Regards,_ **

 

**_Mr. Death, CEO_ **

**_Balance Bureaucrats of the Multiverse_ **

 

The illusion vanished leaving Regina and Eddie back in the bathroom.  

 

“So, where did I go wrong?” Regina's attention snapped to Eddie's clueless expression.

 

“When you threw my swan at an obviously evil staff.” The brunette's heated reply expressed deadly caution from Eddie.

 

“Weasel.” She corrected, devoid of gloating her tone was even and factual. Receiving a cold stare from the witch, “Right, no more testing Emma's death proof abilities. That note, though, do you know who Mr. Death is?” 

 

“No, but I feel this story just found its plot.” 

  
  
  
  
  



	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> An explanation of Snow's romance with Regina, and then more SQ.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We may slow down publishing after this as chapter 8 isn't written yet.

Lazily blinking the tiredness from her eyes, Regina sat at her desk pouring over her notes. It had been millennia since exhaustion reared its ugly head; an unnecessary flaw of mortality she thought she eradicated ages ago. Her mind burned with the memory of being tethered to the blonde, their magic meshing in a fluid dance. Every time she closed her eyes, she felt her magic drifting out in search of her. A peaceful rolling of the tide sweeping over a sandy beach, tugged by the rising moon.

She found herself lingering behind her eyelids longer with each blink, allowing herself to be dragged further out. Floating in the sensation, her body warmed pleasantly and relaxed in the weightlessness.

Guilt called her back.

Rocketing to her feet, she shook off the lull of sleep and paced the floor. Working her arms, she attempted to energize herself. She promised to save Snow, she couldn’t waste a single minute giving into her body’s needs rather than saving the woman that she believed she was meant to spend eternity holding.

Stopping in front of the full-length mirror, she inspected her weary reflection. Dark circles lined her bloodshot eyes, frazzled hair encompassed her haggard face. She barely recognized the frayed woman staring back at her.

Annoyed by the image, she flicked a finger against the glass surface. Darkness scoured the mirror, erasing the dreadful variant from her sight. A ghostly portrait of Snow's sickly face faded into its place.

Regina's stomach sank as the dwindling flame of hope faded to scintillating embers. Lizzy's life continued to slip through her fingers, and all she could do was watch as the woman wasted away. Her omnipotence reduced to meaninglessness.

_**“Cut, cut, cut.” Exasperated, Regina waved off her character's emotions and brought the scene a halt. “This is bugging me. Why is her name Lizzy? In OUAT, Snow’s name is Mary Margaret. Yes, it is a ridiculous mouthful with an irritatingly sweet woman, but this name doesn’t fit.”** _

_**Xevn’s features crinkled with annoyance. “Here we go again.” A sigh rolled from his lips as he leaned forward in his chair. “We are five chapters deep, and now you want to discuss creative liberties? You didn’t complain that we renamed David as Riker. Not one comment. Why is that? Is it because you prefer that ridiculous sweater wearin’ nature lover or what?”** _

_**Regina stepped back with her mouth falling open. “You know, I didn’t notice it until now. I must admit that the two of them are so incredibly bland I never gave them much thought.”** _

_**He leaned back in his chair and kicked his feet up on to his desk. Before he**_ deigned _ **to answer her, he folded his arms across his chest. “Why do you think I chose to rename/recreate them rather than killing them off?”**_

_**“But, you are slowly killing Snow.” Unsure of the story's direction, she continued to test the author's patience forgetting she was dealing with the cruel one of the writing duo.** _

_**“True. But, that’s a plot device. I’m talking market share or popularity here. The original two aren’t strong enough to survive in my world. No way anyone would care about Mary Margaret dying in this story, but Lizbeth has potential. ” He managed to remain collected as he explained his point.** _

_**“I am still not convinced this is the right move. It's one thing to rename her, but another to make the readers shelf their disbelief that she would be my lover. ”** _

_**“I am five seconds away from scrapping this story and writing a Hallmark inspired Christmas Romance.” His finger hovered over the delete key, “Wanna make out with Mary Margaret too?” He vindictively added.** _

Regina's face paled, “No, no. I'm good.”

“Alright then, back to it before I rewrite this thing into an early grave.”

She accounted for every detail in her design, carefully selected the inhabitants, and balanced the scales of life and death. She relinquished control of her universe and allowed it to flourish as a curious spectator. Each generation brought about changes she anticipated, wars broke out and died with little resolve. Intelligence reigned supreme and quashed ignorance. But the longer it went on corruption sprouted and divided them.

She cared to an extent about them but never had an attachment. Her experiences in the multiverse left her indifferent to mortals. Their extinguishable lives carried malevolent motivations. Lust, gluttony, greed, sloth, wrath, envy, and pride. Dubbed sins by other worlds, these were core defects that inhabited mortals. Even though she crafted them without these defects, time bestowed them.

Her interest waned after these sins manifested. There were no Gods or Goddesses to define them as wrong, no Demons or Devils to suggest they were right. They were purely developed by mortality. She refused to play Goddess and dissuade them, instead, Regina sat back and continued to let her creation run amok until a rebellious teenager drew her attention.

The one voice that cursed Regina for the awful state of the world, Lizbeth Kaldwin, bold and brave, the teenager challenged the irresponsible being for falling asleep on the job. She demanded answers and cast blame without knowing if anyone listened.

Amused by the mortal's attempts to lure her out, Regina decided to entertain Lizzy's rampant imagination. That's when she first felt the pull, an attachment she couldn't dismiss. Oddly she found herself needing to be around her, with her and so she created a place to live among the mortals. She even developed friendships with them. Only Lizzy was privy to Regina's secret.

Years passed by, and her affection for the woman grew. Emotions laying dormant awakened in her, desire burned and yet she could never grasp the thread that bound them. Inescapably anchored to the raven-haired beauty, she never obtained more than a friendship. Riker's presence derailed any promise there was, and while she distanced herself, Regina never could break from the ethereal tether.

Lately, the pull between them strengthened. She believed it to be a sign of some sort, a challenge to cure her love and attain everything that was promised. Yet her omnipotence failed to vanquish the fate of the one born into her world without her thoughtful hand.

Humbled by defeat, she slid to her knees, “Why can't I fix this? Is this some cruel lesson?” Hands pressed against the glass and dragged hopelessly down the silent party's image. “Why give me something I can't have? Why torture me?” She cast out her questions to anyone listening but knew there would be no answer. It was only her; no other divine beings inhabited this universe she authored. She sequestered herself from the others so long ago that she couldn’t be sure who still chose to exist.

Lashing out, she slammed her fists against the mirror in a desperate need to release repressed emotions. Anger flushed her body and burned her heart. Another strike smashed the glass, scattering shattered pieces around her. Destruction--the idea revealed in her mind, a subtle snap of her fingers could end it all. Everything would cease to exist in a haze of gray ash, and she could move on to other pursuits the multiverse offered.

Twisting her fingers, she pressed her knuckles to her temple and tensed her thumb for it's killing blow. Battling herself to do it, tears sprung from her eyes, and sobbing breaths escaped her throat.

‘Please...don't leave me.’ Emma’s voice swam around her mind in an ethereal breath. The tug in her chest returned and uncoiled Regina's fingers.

Through watery eyes she witnessed the fractured pieces float up from the ground and mend back into the frame. A strong pulse thumped in her chest and rippled over her distraught reflection. Snow's brightly colored face shimmered into place, “Fate doesn't let us choose who we love, I'm just a mortal, and yet even I know that fact. But there is a reason we are tied together, that's a secret fate has to share when it is time. Patience is rewarded and you my friend have time to spare.” The words echoed from memory, hours before Riker and Lizzy's wedding 25 years ago, the moment she gave up trying to persuade Lizbeth, there was more to their connection.

Drawn into the rumination, she remembered the day in graphic detail. Snow’s captivating white dress hugged her lithe frame and spread beautifully from her delicate waist. Bare alabaster shoulders peeked out from the silky fabric, as wavy black hair rested in thick curly waves along her back.

She watched the nervous bride pace the green grassy hill, fingers holding the dress above her ankles to avoid dirtying it as she wore a rut in the ground. “If you are looking for an out, I can make them all forget.” Her sultry voice paused the woman’s steps.

Lifting her head, she beamed a smile towards the brunette, “I thought you weren’t going to show.” Dropping the fabric, Lizzy ran to the older woman and flung her arms around her.

“As much as I prefer not to be here, I wouldn’t ever abandon you.” Tightening her embrace, she inhaled and quieted her jealous thoughts. “I’ll always be here for you.”

“Thank you, it means everything to me.”

Releasing the bride, she schooled her features, “Why are you up here and not down there?” She pointed towards the distant tents.

“Jitters, I think.”

“I’m sure there are plenty of viable options to soothe them over. Haven’t you got a maid of honor to liquor you up or something?”

“She’s been absent until recently.” Narrowing her eyes at Regina, she emphasized her point. “But you are here now.”

Letting out a heavy sigh, “I don’t agree with this marriage, but I support you. You are the only reason I am here.” Regina’s heart wavered, she promised herself she wouldn’t dredge up the past.

“Come on, out with it.” She sharply demanded, steeling herself for the rehashing an age-old topic.

Regina crossed her arms, “Don’t marry him.”

“Is he wrong for me? Or is it your feelings for me that’s making you say that?”

“It’s not feelings, I’ve told you a thousand times or more--”

“We’re connected.” Lizzy impatiently spoke Regina’s cliched dialogue. “ Yeah I get that, but it doesn’t mean that you and I are meant to be together.”

“It’s not just about a relationship, it’s akin to a cosmic pull. I don’t know how to describe it in terms you’ll understand.”

“Reggie, I was drawn to you like a moth to a flame. When I met Riker, it was like being lifted by the summer breeze and carried to his arms. One implies thoughtless devotion, the other does not.”

“I never want you to be thoughtless.”

“Then let me go. With him I am free, but with you, I would be hypnotized. Your majesty is blinding. It leaves me senseless. I lose myself in you. I’m overwhelmed by your essence, your presence.” Shuddering her words she sucked in a shaky breath, “Right now, I am hesitating on my direction, drowning, suffocating in your power’s lure.” Turning from the brunette, Lizzy closed her eyes and calmed her mind, clinging to herself for strength.

“I didn’t know.” Regina’s hushed tone trembled with guilt. She never paused in her pursuit to think about the possible effects her presence would have on mortals in her world. “I’m sorry, Snow.” She took a step back.

“When you let go of me, I feel more in tune with who I am. I see my path, my future, and it’s with him. And you, but not as you wish us to be. You’re there, watching me, laughing with me, and crying for me. Today doesn’t sever this connection, it strengthens it. Answers will come, but not from me.” Facing the brunette, Lizzy’s tearful gaze pleaded for Regina’s acceptance.

Her heart wept, “My dear Snow, I hope in time I’ll understand why we are tied together, but I believe in you and trust you’re right.” She clenched her hand, placing all of her thoughts within it. Violet smoke drained between her fingers, and when she held out her hand, there was a small hair clip with a blue colored sparrow on it. “Something blue, and borrowed.” The memory evaporated with an echo of Snow’s relieved laugh ringing in her ears.

Wiping the tears from her vision she tilted her head, baffled by the mysterious force at work. She scanned the room in search of answers, ignoring the author's attempt to throw her a bone. Annoyed by Regina's disregard for the offered pity, the author continued to write.

A sharp beat from her heart retained the woman's focus. Her eyes fell back on the mirror in time to watch it shift to Emma's curled body, nestled contently beneath her sheets. Heavy shuddering breaths rocked the blonde's frame and stirred panic in Regina's heart. She sat in silence studying Emma, feeling an odd warmth coiled into her body low in her core. Another gasp from the latter and a mental image played through her mind. Trembling petite lips parted to a hungry kiss, fingers tangled in the silk golden locks.

Brought back from the vision, Regina's mouth gaped, and eyes widened. Her shard vibrated, thrumming an erratic rhythm, desperately calling to its counterpart. Arousal stirred in Regina's belly, but her mind refused to adhere to its illicit intentions. Scooting back from the mirror, she felt the pull increase, bottoming out her gut in a surge of pleasure. Curiosity drew her back, a sweaty palm hesitantly touched the glass.

Liquid silver vines twisted up her wrist and sucked her in. Eyes opened to a tangled mess of magic interlacing their naked bodies. Warm breath cascaded over her mouth as lips and teeth clashed in passionate kisses. Emma's magic caressed every inch of Regina's exposed skin, while the brunette possessively clung to the blonde's back. Both floated in an endless sea of bliss, darkness illuminated by the misty white and purple essences flowing around them.

Heated slick painted in purposeful strokes, rolling up and down Regina's thigh. Moaning her delight, she pressed into the blonde's heat and captured a handful of Emma's supple rear. She swallowed down the latter's gasps, taking sips of Emma's magic with them. Fluttering electrical tingles spread from her core, but it wasn't her climax. No, the magical essence flowing inside her and around connected them, Emma's sensations were feeding into Regina. Bursting white lights danced behind her eyelids and pleasure rocked her body. Every nerve hummed with delight and tantalizing waves washed over her mind.

Flung from the mirror, Regina slid on her hands and knees to a graceful stop. Panting heavily, her body vibrated in the aftershocks of an orgasm conceived in the blonde's dreams. Her mind intoxicated by the taste of Emma's magic, denied comprehensive thought. She stared in bemusement, eyeing the clenched hands clinging to the mattress. Still connected she sensed the blonde's awareness lying beneath the surface.

“How long have you wanted me?” She breathlessly asked, watching her words sink into the gasping blonde's subconscious.

Nothing followed, then after a moment her breathing leveled out, “Longer than I am willing to admit.”

A smile tugged at her lips. Still unable to mentally assess what just happened, Regina shook her head, “My Swan, always surprising me when I least expect it.”

Waving her hand, she dismissed the magic channeling Emma's room and sat back against the wall. Nothing in that dream was her doing, she was along for the ride, a ghost in her own body. Emma's desire played puppeteer.

Shaking the pleasant haze from her mind, she found herself overwhelmed with energy. Power danced along her fingertips, begging to be used in an endless sea of possibility, she bounded to her feet. Sharp features and a scheming smirk replaced the frayed stranger in the mirror.

“We’ve been weak for far too long.” Speaking to her reflection, “Time to remind this world who’s in charge.” A devious chuckle built in her chest and escaped in a thunderous rumble.

Jerking awake, Emma shot up, eyes surveying the room in hopes to catch the mysterious presence. But, again just as every night since the dreams started, she found herself alone. The adrenaline high ebbed and she lowered back into her sweaty sheets. Pondering the meaning of the erotic images fueling her dreams. She felt the warm tinge of embarrassment crawling up her neck.

She blamed her overactive imagination on the souring relationship between her and Eddie. Condemning the Asian’s dangerous antics as the reason for her heart’s wandering attention, but really she felt only a fondness for the other woman, not love; that wrong feeling damned them. While neither agreed to be committed to each other, Emma craved something more. It fueled her dreams and drove her to critique the love she had.

She wanted to ask if it was a possibility, but the killing blow came in the form of a lanky brunette sprawled across her girlfriend’s bed. It didn’t take a genius to put two and two together about the night’s events, she didn’t stay long for an answer either. Some pain stemmed as much from knowing her girlfriend sought out someone else while she lay floating near death. How much could Eddie value her life? Would she miss her if she disappeared?

What hurt the most was the lonely night she spent without her wolfy companion, the one being who listened while she vented. Of all the nights the wolf departed, this one was when she needed her most.

Curling deeper into her comforter, the blonde winced when the fabric brushed her hip bone. She pulled the covering down and revealed a purpling bruise the size and shape of her dream lover's lips that had not existed an hour before. Emma’s thoughts ran rampant, preventing the sweet lull of sleep from whisking her away. Had she the strength to move, she would be pounding the rooftops and escaping the mediocre events in her life.

Screwing her eyes closed she demanded rest. Give in, it’s inevitable. The haunting words caressed her thoughts. No one is coming to rescue you. She was losing the battle, her heart thudding its last beat.

Opening her eyes to a white 5’ by 5’ room, she laid on the concrete ground clutching her chest. Snot and tears dirtied her face. Polished black leather shoes stepped into her view, but she refused to move. “We are not asking for much. This will end when you give in. The staff deemed you a worthy partner. You should feel honored.”

The first taste of the staff’s dark intentions lingered in her mouth, “Never.” She defiantly whimpered.

Tisking his response, “She doesn’t care that you are missing. You’re just another nameless ant under her spyglass. Be grateful we rescued you before she decided to fry you.”

“Eddie cares about me, she’ll find me.”

A throaty chuckled vibrated over her ear, “We and you both know it’s not Eddie we are speaking about. Besides it was her doing that landed you in our hands. No, It’s the dragon that’s taken residence in your mind, We speak of.”

Biting her lip, she stifled her questions.

“Yet, she remains an inconsequential discussion. You are here until we release you.” Placing the soul of his shoe across her temple, he added his weight in a slow painful measure. “You’re dealing with power beyond your imagination. The things we are capable of are unimaginable. Death may not frighten you, but we can make beg for it.” A loud pop rocked her head, bruising pain oozed from the fracturing bone of her skull. Her screams muted instantly, just the tension of her jaw and throat remain. “We prefer less primitive tactics, but find them oddly satisfying.” Kicking off, her body rolled onto its back. Whoever this man was always remained just a little out of sight.

“We will try this again.” Black sludge rained down in globs onto her face and slid into her mouth. Vile and burning, it rolled in chunks down her throat and suffocated her lungs. Once the thick liquid bottomed out in her stomach and began back flowing, her mouth was removed leaving a flush stretch of skin in its place.

Inevitably her cognition blurred and spurted in and out of awareness, but ultimately she hovered at the verge of death. Her thudding heart stuttered, its pounding beat jamming through the constricted tunnels in sharp cramping pain. Her body convulsed as her gut spasmed endlessly to expel the foul substance.

She felt the liquid thinning out and seeping through the fleshy walls. Traveling her veins it spread rapidly through her body, bringing with it a deathly chill and an intoxicating thrill. Slowly her mind eased in unsettling thoughts; corruption, destruction, and death became core beliefs. Noble intentions were snuffed out in the chaotic haze.

“Good girl, give in.” His gentle tone attempted to soothe her.

Almost wholly enchanted by the malevolent ideals and feelings, her catalytic shard ignited, burning away the toxic magic. Her body relaxed, and her mind was startled to clarity. Panicking, she realized she was slowly losing this battle. Every attempt made sapped more of her will and this time she nearly gave in.

Letting out a disappointing sigh, “Seems we’ll need another day, but that’s okay. We see the promise tomorrow brings. Enjoy the silence, but contemplate our passing words. You and we have been doing this routine for a little over a year now. No one has intervened and no one ever will.”

Emma’s heart sank in the truth behind the man’s words. While there were no indicators to mark the passage of time, she kept count on their routine. “See you tomorrow, broken Swan.”

Shivering in her warm comforter, she wished away the memory, denying it to be real. Returned to her friends a few moments after she was captured, she allowed herself to believe it was nothing more than an elaborate trick. But the count remained 429 in her head.

Worn thin and demoralized, she wondered if it was worth the risk to keep playing this dangerous game. What started out as easy money, began to turn into a new nightmare of disaster. There was one person she wanted to blame for this, Clive, but even then she believed him to be nothing more than a scapegoat for her misfortune. He advised before she went down this path, the dangers that came with it, but this recent job presented far worse than she thought either of them could imagine.

Whatever happened to her, it was her ambition to blame. “Fuck me.” She cursed her thoughts and buried her head under the covers.

 

 

 

 


End file.
